Nonfiction
Log life
Amy Hevron
j577.3 Hevron
Nonfiction, Kids, Nature
"A nonfiction picture book that's all about the tiny world of nurse log habitats. Nurse logs are tiny ecosystems with hundreds of rare and important life forms. When old trees fall to the forest floor, they can take centuries to decompose, helping all sorts of organism for hundreds of years. They provide nutrients for tree seedlings, hideaways for small animals, shelters for the winter, and protection from the elements"--
Fire flight : a wildfire escape
Cedar Pruitt
j363.379 Pruitt
Nonfiction, Nature
"Flames consume a forest, and an owl seeks refuge. Helicopter wings chop, and water drops to drench the branches below. Using spare, lyrical language, this debut picture book takes readers inside the journey of a screech owl that fled the flames to ride along with a firefighting helicopter during the 2020 California Creek wildfire. Vivid imagery highlights the fear and danger of the experience-as well as an astonishing moment of connection"--
This is an astonishing story of a tiny, cute owl who took refuge from a wildfire inside a firefighters' helicopter. There's a real photo of the tiny, cute owl at the end of the book! -Anne W
Wild places : the life of naturalist David Attenborough
Hayley Rocco
j508.092 Attenborough
Nature, Nonfiction
"A nonfiction account of the life of British naturalist David Attenborough and his advocacy for the protection of wild places on Earth"--
Gorgeous illustrations. Simple, straightforward writing about the natural world and Attenborough's efforts to educate about animals, nature, the environment, and climate change. This is an incredible book. -Anne W
The Hormone Shift: Balance Your Body and Thrive Through Midlife and Menopause
Tasneem Bhatia, MD
OverDrive Audiobook
Nonfiction, Health
The goop hormone authority offers an empowering new approach to taking charge of hormone shifts through every stage of life—especially menopause. When hormonal highs, lows, twists, and turns feel overwhelming, Dr. Tasneem Bhatia can offer a road map—and a whole new perspective. As an MD with an East-meets-West approach to women’s health, Dr. Tasneem (known as Dr. Taz) combines the wisdom of Eastern modalities like Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical treatments for whole body wellness. To Dr. Taz, menopause is not an “ending”; a woman’s entire life is a spectrum of ever-shifting hormones, and menopause is just one point along that spectrum. And hormone levels are a fluid continuum that you have a lot of control over: through your diet, how you sleep, how you manage stress, and more. In The Hormone Shift, Dr. Taz breaks down exactly what is happening behind the scenes in a woman’s body throughout her life and how almost every aspect of health is connected to hormones—from metabolism to mental health. She explains how to prepare for whatever is coming next, and offers a customizable Thirty-Day Hormone Reset plan that uses a combination of Eastern and Western healing modalities to keep the body in balance and deliver a targeted strategy for minimizing unwanted symptoms at every stage. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF with checklists, charts, illustrations, and an appendix from the book.
Honestly I came across this audiobook while looking for other books narrated by Soneela Nankani. She narrates books I love by Sonali Dev and Nisha Sharma, whose novels focus on Southeast Asian American culture and how traditional culture from their homeland conflicts with that of their adopted home. So here I am trying to find another Southeast Asian American love story and I stumble upon a book about menopause. There are a lot of new articles about how long the American health industry has ignored the suffering women go through during this major life event. Dr. Bhati discusses the 5 stages of hormonal shifting, starting with puberty and ending post menopause. She discusses individual hormones and their effects on the body extensively. She also gives lots of advice to help alleviate the suffering women go through due to these hormonal changes. If this is something you're experiencing or know someone who is, this book is worth checking out! -Melody
Molly
Blake Butler
BIOGRAPHY Butler, Blake
Nonfiction, Biographies
"Blake Butler and Molly Brodak instantly connected, fell in love, married and built a life together. Both writers with deep roots in contemporary American literature, their union was an iconic joining of forces between two major and beloved talents. Nearly three years into their marriage, grappling with mental illness and a lifetime of trauma, Molly took her own life. In the days and weeks after Molly's death, Blake discovered shocking secrets she had held back from the world, fundamentally altering his view of their relationship and who she was. A masterpiece of autobiography, Molly is a riveting journey into the darkest and most unthinkable parts of the human heart, emerging with a hard-won, unsurpassedly beautiful understanding that expands the possibilities of language to comprehend and express true love. Unrelentingly clear, honest and concise, Molly approaches the impossible directly, with a total empathy that has no parallel or precedent" --
I must admit that I'm at a bit of a loss for words with this book--I'm not ambivalent, but a little conflicted in how I feel about it. I placed a hold on it before it's publication, based on reviews I read, and in between that time and now, so much has already been said about the book that I know I my reading of it was changed to some degree. I wasn't just reading to learn Molly's story, her life and her life with Blake, her actions, and what one does in the aftermath of the worst situations, but now I was also reading to see if the author needed to be judged in some way, to ascertain if his telling crossed lines or was vindictive, or if parts of the story were even his to tell. I can see why the book has been polarizing for many, and I'll admit that while parts of it were achingly open and full of grief for a love lost, other parts felt more like they were written by someone who has been hurt very much and wants to hurt back. As ever, I would still encourage those who are interested to read it and form your own decision. -Candice
Torn apart : how the child welfare system destroys Black families--and how abolition can build a safer world
Dorothy E. Roberts
362.7 /Roberts
Black Lives Matter, Black History, Nonfiction
An award-winning scholar exposes the foundational racism of the child welfare system and calls for radical change. Many believe the child welfare system protects children from abuse. But as Torn Apart uncovers, this system is designed to punish Black families. Drawing on decades of research, legal scholar and sociologist Dorothy Roberts reveals that the child welfare system is better understood as a 'family policing system' that collaborates with law enforcement and prisons to oppress Black communities. Child protection investigations ensnare a majority of Black children, putting their families under intense state surveillance and regulation. Black children are disproportionately likely to be torn from their families and placed in foster care, driving many to juvenile detention and imprisonment. The only way to stop the destruction caused by family policing, Torn Apart argues, is to abolish the child welfare system and liberate Black communities.
Reading this for our community book discussion here on 2/29/2024! -Jason
Creep, leap, crunch! : a food chain story
Jody Jensen Shaffer
j577.16 Shaffer
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"In this nonfiction picture book, discover how the animal kingdom's food chain takes shape"--
Fabulous illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal accompany this cumulative food chain text. "Creep, Leap, Crunch!" is great for sensitive youngsters with alternate endings for each of the animals offered, reminding readers that predators are not always successful. A lovely glossary adds more information about the animals and temperate setting as well. Add this to the picture book nonfiction shelf! -Casey
A stone is a story
Leslie Barnard Booth
jE Barnard Booth
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature
"A stone is not just a stone. A stone is a story. Journey across history to see how one stone changes and transforms. Watch what happens when rain, ice, and wind mold this rock into something new, something you might even hold in your hand and imagine all that is left for the stone to become."--
Yet another fabulous picturebook nonfiction title! Gorgeous illustrations by Marc Martin highlight Leslie Barnard Booth's beautiful prose. Aspiring geologists, naturalists, and rock pocketers alike will delight in this exploration of Earth's past, present, and potential futures. -Casey
On a flake-flying day : watching winter's wonders
Buffy Silverman
j508.2 Silverman
Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Nature
"With winter's arrival, plants and animals hunker down for the cold season. Eye-catching photos and rhyming text sparkle in this exploration of how creatures survive the snow" --
Rhyming text and beautiful photographs make "On a Flake-Flying Day" the perfect seasonal read-aloud! -Casey
Paris like a local : by the people who call it home.
914.43604 /Eyewitness
Travel, Nonfiction
A guide to the architecture, museums, theaters, restaurants, hotels and other sights of London.
This is part of a series called "Like a Local" and I recently took the Paris version with me on a trip. In addition to a regular guide, like Fodor's or Frommer's or your preferred travel series, this lends a nice local flavor to your travel research and exploration! It's small and lightweight enough to take with you, and even with the wide world of info on our smartphones, I still prefer to take a guide or two with me--all the info in one place, good maps, and, for me, much easier to read than a screen. The highlight of this guide in my opinion (among the many fun things it pointed out) was the section on stores that carry stationery and writing instruments, and it guided me to a lovely store called L'Ecritoire, where I had a unique and friendly shopping experience. -Candice
Want to know how a downed log provides home and nourishment for scores of animals for the next hundred years? This book is entertaining and thorough yet simple and succinct for the youngest of readers on up. You'll learn something and have fun doing it! -Anne W