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Nonfiction Recommendations

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Mountain States Foraging: 115 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Alpine Sorrel to Wild Hops (Regional Foraging Series) By Briana Wiles Cover Image
$24.99
ISBN: 9781604696783
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Timber Press - June 15th, 2016

The perfect guide for anyone looking to start identifying the edible plants around them! With beautiful photographs and advice in how to identify each plant, Wiles makes foraging in the Rocky Mountain area easy and accessible. Packed with tips for gathering, guidelines for safety, and recipes for using your harvest, this stunning look at the natural abundance around us makes this a must-have guide for every household.

-Reviewed by Madison


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The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins By Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing Cover Image
$18.95
ISBN: 9780691220550
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Princeton University Press - June 8th, 2021

This book captures the complex relations between humans, culture, nature, and capitalism by using mushrooms as the focal point. Through ethnographic storytelling, Tsing introduces us to characters all over the world who have their hands (sometimes literally) in the collection, commodification, sale, and consumption of matsutake mushrooms. A must read for foragers, foodies, and those who ponder the future of capitalism.

-Reviewed by Georgia


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The English and Their History By Robert Tombs Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781101873366
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Vintage - November 29th, 2016

Rather than telling the story of England as a nation, Robert Tombs explores the history of “Englishness” as an idea and identity. From the very beginnings of Neolithic tribes to the vast British Empire, Tombs explores how England came to be the nation it is today. This is a very reader-friendly history with both an expansive scope and a remarkable attention for detail. If you’re looking to learn about England, look no further.

-Reviewed by Madison


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Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know By Malcolm Gladwell Cover Image
$12.00
ISBN: 9780316299220
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Back Bay Books - September 28th, 2021

Are you a good judge of character? Probably not, according to Malcolm Gladwell. He takes us on a deep dive into the problems with communication, detailing the ways in which we misjudge the intentions of strangers, or misinterpret their actions. Gladwell highlights an important modern issue to show that the forces underlying our interactions are never as simple as they seem.

-Reviewed by Trevor


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Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety By Eric Schlosser Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9780143125785
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Penguin Books - August 26th, 2014

Command and Control tells the harrowing true story of an accident at a nuclear missile silo in Damascus, Arkansas. The pacing, mixed with the twists and turns reads like a thriller that I could not put down and constantly found myself asking, “How have I never heard of this?” 

-Reviewed by Georgia


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The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life By A.J. Jacobs, Greg Pliska (Contributions by) Cover Image
By A.J. Jacobs, Greg Pliska (Contributions by)
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593136713
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Crown - April 26th, 2022

If you — like me — got really into puzzles of all kinds during the pandemic (Wordle, anyone?), you’ll love this funny and enlightening book about the history and people behind the full breadth of the puzzle world. A.J. Jacob’s hands-on approach leads him to participate in an international jigsaw competition, attempt the hardest crossword ever written, and more. The book has tons of historic and new puzzles for you to solve, too!

-Reviewed by Julia


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The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays By Esmé Weijun Wang Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9781555978273
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Graywolf Press - February 5th, 2019

This series of essays is a true gift. Esmé Weijun Wang chronicles her own diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and in so doing gives us a generous look at a very misunderstood condition. This is a moving look at mental illness from the viewpoint of the diagnosed rather than the one doing the diagnosing, with important lessons for all of us on how to treat others dealing with diagnoses laden with stigma.

-Reviewed by Julia


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Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic By Alison Bechdel Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780618871711
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Mariner Books - June 5th, 2007

I do not normally gravitate towards memoirs, but this one was an absorbing and quick read into cartoonist Alison Bechdel’s complicated relationship with her father. This book would be a good introduction to full length cartoon style books for individuals who (like me) had never read a graphic novel or memoir before. 

-Reviewed by Georgia


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Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather By Mark Seal Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781982158590
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Gallery Books - October 19th, 2021

Even those with major Godfather trivia fatigue will find something to enjoy about this book. Seal leads his audience through catastrophes, creative conflicts, and triumphs with the tone of a museum tour guide who is genuinely really, really into his job. I recommend this to people who know everything about the Godfather, people who know nothing about the Godfather (yet), and people shopping for gifts for their dads.

-Reviewed by Milo


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Why We Swim By Bonnie Tsui Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781643751375
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Algonquin Books - April 13th, 2021

Even if you’re not a swimmer, this is a fascinating and inspiring read. Bonnie Tsui interviews about a dozen people from around the world to unearth the different intentions and histories behind a seemingly simple sport. Personal yet informative, this book looks at the connection between mind and body and explains why humans are drawn to water despite its dangers. 

-Reviewed by Kate


Nerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse By Maya Phillips Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781982165772
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Atria Books - October 11th, 2022

If you're a nerd, you may recognize Maya Phillips from any of the many projects and podcasts she has worked on. In these essays, she describes all the great things about being a nerd, about loving something in such a special way and finding others who share your passion, and the joy of finding a new culture of which you can be a part. As a professional nerd, I loved this book, and I don't know many nerds who wouldn't.

-Reviewed by Brad


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Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell By David Yaffe Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9780374538064
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Sarah Crichton Books - October 2nd, 2018

David Yaffe does a great job documenting Joni’s life, from her childhood to the recordings and initial reviews of each one of her albums. What truly makes this biography worth reading, however, are the interviews Yaffe conducts with Mitchell, in which she talks about love, songwriting, and life in her typical blunt manner. Reading about Joni’s brief time in Boulder is just an added delight to this in-depth work.

-Reviewed by Kate


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Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law By Mary Roach Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781324036128
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - August 30th, 2022

Mary Roach is hands down my favorite nonfiction author—I love learning about new things through her eyes and her fantastic sense of humor. And Fuzz is classic Mary Roach, filled with bizarre experiments, strange stories, easy-to-understand Science that never talks down to you, and (of course!) hilarious footnotes. Read this book to learn about killer trees, laser scarecrows, and drunk elephants.

-Reviewed by Stephanie


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The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History By Margalit Fox Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781984853851
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - June 7th, 2022

The Confidence Men has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster: wartime heroics, daring escapes, the occult, con men running a scheme so imaginative and outlandish that it must be a tall tale. And yet, somehow, all of it is true. I cannot believe I have never heard this story until now. Prepare to lose a weekend to this book; once you get past the introductions, there really is no stopping. 

-Reviewed by Constantine


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Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes: Essays By Phoebe Robinson Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593184929
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Tiny Reparations Books - June 21st, 2022

If it isn't clear from the title, this book is full of Robinson's signature unapologetic opinion writing. I had to put the book down regularly, because I didn't want it to end and because I was laughing too hard to read the next brilliant sentence. She moves seamlessly from inspirational essays on how to achieve your goals to frustration with American politics to which underwear to buy. Finish this book then go read her first two.

-Reviewed by Acy


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People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present By Dara Horn Cover Image
$17.95
ISBN: 9781324035947
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 13th, 2022

Weeks after finishing this collection of essays, I still feel wildly unqualified to offer anything resembling a "review". But weeks later, I'm still thinking about each of them, about the ways in which they asked me to re-assess some part of how I have thought about Jewish culture and history, and about how grateful I am for the education. 

-Reviewed by Constantine


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The Secret Lives of Color By Kassia St. Clair Cover Image
$22.00
ISBN: 9780143131144
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Penguin Books - October 24th, 2017

I love color and art history so this book was a sure thing for me, but even if you don't know your ultramarine from your cobalt, this book is a fascinating read. Learn about the toxic history of lead white, the macabre source for "mummy brown," and the stories behind 73 more colors and pigments. Whether you skip around or read it straight through, I guarantee you'll learn something on every page.

-Reviewed by Julia


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Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story By Joe Coscarelli Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9781982107888
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Simon & Schuster - October 18th, 2022

An intimate dive into the fascinating world of Atlanta rap. Fans of rap will quickly recognize the names of rappers (including Lil Baby) who divulge personal experiences that, paired with other in-depth research by Coscarelli, was highly informative. 

-Reviewed by Georgia


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Lightning Flowers: My Journey to Uncover the Cost of Saving a Life By Katherine E. Standefer Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780316450348
Availability: On Our Shelves Now. Click on the title to see details.
Published: Little, Brown Spark - May 3rd, 2022

I had the honor of meeting this author and I truly believe in amplifying the work of authors not only for their talent but more importantly for who they are as people. Katherine is an outstanding human. She has left a lasting impression on me and has shifted the way I view the world after one interaction. She is a worldshaker: an artist with words and wisdom. Support your local women authors!

-Reviewed by Sara


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