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Here is part 4 of 5 of my summer book lists. This one is a great variety of non-fiction. Enjoy!
Cookbooks:
Pam Gress and I loved “Does This Taste Funny? Recipes Our Family Loves” by Stephen and Edie Colbert. Fun read, playful dialogue between them, wonderful photos and recipes. They’re true Southerners and so are their recipes. Lots of love in this book.
Dave Seppala brings us “Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to My Old Kentucky Whiskey with 50 Recipes” by Edward Lee. Listed as Best New Cookbook in 2024. A look at bourbon through its rich American history and this Chef’s love of this liquor.
History:
Gerry Tovatt is finding “Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York” by Tyler Anbinder to be extremely interesting. “So many parallels to current Nativist anger … then it was the Irish and the Italians … today it’s Hispanics and Muslims.” A tour de force and a magisterial work of storytelling and scholarship.
Natalie Klackle highly recommends “The Bluestockings” by Susannah Gibson. “It was an easy, interesting read and told the history of the First Women’s Movement in 18th Century London — intimate, revelatory.” One of 10 Best Notable Books of 2024.
I loved “Hell and Good Company: The Spanish Civil War and the World It Made” by Richard Rhodes — highly readable and so interesting! Within the first pages it was amazing to see the same things that happened then with Franco are happening in America today. Shocking! It was also unreal that so many famous authors, painters and correspondents were involved in the war. I learned so very much and will never forget it.
Motivational and self-help:
I got “Thrive” by Ariana Huffington from the library. It’s so full of wisdom on balancing our lives that I have to buy it.
Carrie Daenzer thought “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer to be “Life changing for me. I now realize I do not have to get everything accomplished before I die. It’s okay if I don’t.”
I found Katie Couric’s “The Best Advice I Ever Got” to be a wonderful collection of best advice from all kinds of famous people. I kept underlining and making notes who I wanted to share things with — extremely worthwhile.
Nature :
Dale Tithof felt “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan to be charming, witty, and educational. Amy took to birding when she was overwhelmed with our negative world. Dale said, “Any birder would like this book. Tan also drew beautiful pictures of birds — very special.”
Steve Charnley suggests, “Reading Nature: the Evolution of American Nature Writing” by John Seibert Farnsworth. It chronicles the ten best books on nature beginning with Thoreau through Rachel Carson.”
Kim Beckman recommends, “How to Love a Forest” by Ethan Tapper, a forester. It’s a wonderful love letter to forests. Eye opening. Shows the interdependence of humans and forests. I really liked his writing style.”
Health and well-being:
Tom Emigh shares two profoundly helpful books that happen to be written by his beautiful wife and our neighbor, Tamara Rosier, PhD. “Your Brain’s Not Broken: Strategies for Living with ADHD” and “You, Me and Our ADHD Family: Practical Steps to Healthy Relationships”. Both of these are easy to read, spot on and eye-opening. With ADHD embedded in our world these days, Tamara’s wisdom and experience can help people to live better lives and be more accepting of themselves and others. Almost everyone could benefit by reading these two gems. They can make the world a better place! Tamara’s openness and personal experiences are guaranteed to help and educate.
Jan Wheelock brings us “Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of our Deadliest Infection” by John Green, a top #1 Bestseller. “This is the story of us, a personal, scientific, insightful roadmap of a disease that is preventable and curable, yet still kills over a million people every year.”
Political:
Dave Seppala shares, “A Fever in the Heartland: the Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them” by Timothy Egan. I couldn’t put it down. It reminds us that history can repeat itself again and again. Happened in the 1920s but echoes of today. Hard to believe that the KKK ran a state and almost a country. Compelling, powerful and a true historical thriller.”
Will Nichols, “Enjoyed “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the Whole World” by Anne Applebaum. Enjoyed is not really the correct word. Angered and scared are more accurate. It traces how autocrats around the world support each other. Very timely.” A New York Times Best Seller.
Wayne Roedel sends, “The Poverty Problem” by Horatio Sanchez is about how education can promote resilience and counter poverty’s impact on brain development and functioning. A must-read for today’s educators — every level will benefit.”
Stef Reed liked, “The Fifth Risk” by Michael Lewis — a fantastic window into the workings of Federal agencies and how much they do to keep the country running.”
Jim Fatka says, “Please read ‘How Democracies Die’ by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. Four warning signs that authoritarians are trying to take over are rejection of democratic norms/values; denial of the legitimacy of the opposition; tolerance for or encouragement of violence directed at the opposition and curtailment of basic civil liberties. It discusses how America has resisted totalitarian takeover in the past and shows how countries have lost their democracies and how others haven’t. They also detail how the U.S. can avoid these pitfalls.” Sounds like America needs to read this one now.
Next week is our final list — Mysteries. Woo hoo!
