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Book Lists

THIS MONTH’S BOOKPAGE – courtesy of the Sawyer Free library Friends

          Discover your next great book.  Bookpage is a discovery tool for readers, highlighting the best new books across all genres   

           Click here for this month’s edition of Bookpage

 

Browse curated book lists that we’ve put together just for you! These change seasonally or based on current events. You can also find books for our book groups here, as well as further reading.

 

Books on Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Titles you can find in the library

Can't we talk about something more pleasant? by Chast, Roz
Creative care: a revolutionary approach to dementia and elder care by Basting, Anne Davis
The first survivors of Alzheimer's : how patients recovered life and hope in their own words by Bredesen, Dale E.
Floating in the deep end : how caregivers can see beyond Alzheimer's by Davis, Patti
The 36-hour day : a family guide to caring for people who have Alzheimer disease and other dementias by Mace, Nancy L.
Mayo Clinic on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias by
Six steps to managing Alzheimer's disease and Dementia : a guide for families by
A loving approach to dementia care : making meaningful connections while caregiving by Wayman, Laura
Memory's last breath : field notes on my dementia by Saunders, Gerda
Are the keys in the freezer? : an advocate's guide for Alzheimer's and other dementias by Woodell, Patricia.
The problem of Alzheimer's : how science, culture, and politics turned a rare disease into a crisis and what we can do about it by Karlawish, Jason
Outsmarting Alzheimer's : what you can do to reduce your risk by Kosik, K. S.
The 36-hour day : a family guide to caring for people who have Alzheimer disease, other dementias, and memory loss by Mace, Nancy L.
Is it Alzheimer's? : 101 answers to your most pressing questions about memory loss and dementia by Rabins, Peter V.
The Small guide to Alzheimer's disease by Small, Gary
Loving someone who has dementia : how to find hope while coping with stress and grief by Boss, Pauline.
The aging brain : proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind by Jennings, Timothy R.
The end of Alzheimer's : the first program to prevent and reverse cognitive decline by Bredesen, Dale E.
Life in the balance : a physician's memoir of life, love, and loss with Parkinson's disease and dementia by Graboys, Thomas B.
Inside Alzheimer's : how to hear and honor connections with a person who has dementia by Pearce, Nancy D.
The theft of memory : losing my father, one day at a time by Kozol, Jonathan

eBooks on Overdrive

recent books for black history month

Harlem shuffle by Whitehead, Colson
Libertie : a novel by Greenidge, Kaitlyn
The rib king : a novel by Hubbard, Ladee
Yellow wife : a novel by Johnson, Sadeqa
Open water by Nelson, Caleb Azumah
Black Panther Party by Walker, David
Caste : the origins of our discontents by Wilkerson, Isabel
All that she carried : the journey of Ashley's sack, a black family keepsake by Miles, Tiya
Call us what we carry : poems by Gorman, Amanda
You'll never believe what happened to Lacey : crazy stories about racism by Ruffin, Amber
His truth is marching on : John Lewis and the power of hope by Meacham, Jon
The 1619 Project : a new origin story by
Dead dead girls by Afia, Nekesa
Caul baby : a novel by Jerkins, Morgan
Island queen : a novel by Riley, Vanessa
The Black church : this is our story, this is our song by Gates, Henry Louis,  Jr.
The three mothers : how the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin shaped a nation by Tubbs, Anna Malaika
The black cabinet : the untold story of African Americans and politics during the age of Roosevelt by Watts, Jill
On Juneteenth by Gordon-Reed, Annette
Just as I am : a memoir by Tyson, Cicely.
The dead are arising : the life of Malcolm X by Payne, Les
Four hundred souls : a community history of African America, 1619-2019 by
How the word is passed : a reckoning with the history of slavery across America by Smith, Clint
Chlorine sky by Browne, Mahogany L.
The hill we climb : an inaugural poem for the country by Gorman, Amanda

BOOKS FOR NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE Month

Titles you can find in the library

There there : a novel by Orange, Tommy
Living nations, living words : an anthology of first peoples poetry by Harjo, Joy (EDT)/ Hayden, Carla D. (FRW)/ The Library of Congress (COR)
War dances by Alexie, Sherman
The marrow thieves by Dimaline, Cherie
The antelope wife : a novel by Erdrich, Louise.
The last report on the miracles at Little No Horse by Erdrich, Louise.
The painted drum by Erdrich, Louise.
The plague of doves by Erdrich, Louise.
The round house by Erdrich, Louise.
The removed : a novel by Hobson, Brandon
There there by Orange, Tommy
Winter counts : a novel by Weiden, David Heska Wanbli
After the people lights have gone off by Jones, Stephen Graham
My heart is a chainsaw by Jones, Stephen Graham
The only good Indians : a novel by Jones, Stephen Graham
Braiding sweetgrass by Kimmerer, Robin Wall
The other slavery : the uncovered story of Indian enslavement in America by Reséndez, Andrés
Yellow Bird : oil, murder, and a woman's search for justice in Indian country by Murdoch, Sierra Crane
New poets of Native nations by
You don't have to say you love me : a memoir by Alexie, Sherman
Apple skin to the core : a memoir in words and pictures by Gansworth, Eric L.
"All the real Indians died off" : and 20 other myths about Native Americans by Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne
An indigenous peoples' history of the United States by Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne
The sentence by Erdrich, Louise
When the light of the world was subdued, our songs came through : a Norton anthology of Native nations poetry by

Native American ebooks/eaudiobooks for Adults and Teens on Overdrive

 

Native American ebooks/eaudiobooks for Children on Overdrive

 

 

Books for international literacy day

El poder de desear las cosas : la astróloga más destacada de Japón revela los secretos de la Luna para atraer el éxito, la felicidad y el favor del universo by Keiko
Meditaciaon total : praacticas para vivir la vida despierta by Chopra, Deepak
Amor inquebrantable : los 7 principios para in matrimonio sólido y feliz by DeAnda, Freddy
Mujeres del alma mía : sobre el amor impaciente, la vida larga y las brujas buenas by Allende, Isabel
Alimentación sostenible: comprar, cocinar y comer para preserver el planeta by Hunt, Tom
Redbone : la verdadera historia de una banda de rock indigena estadounidense by Staebler, Christian,  (Illustrator)
Si yo pude... tau maas! by Collins, Maraia Antonieta
Kamala Harris : la historia de la primera mujer vicepresidenta de Estados Unidos by Morain, Dan
Una tierra prometida by Obama, Barack
Largo pétalo de mar by Allende, Isabel
Sentido y sensibilidad by Austen, Jane
Ciudad sumergida by Barone, Marta.
Me dicen Güero : poemas de un chavo de la frontera by Bowles, David
El monarca de las sombras by Cercas, Javier
El arquero by Coelho, Paulo
Tierra americana : una novela by Cummins, Jeanine
Cuando una mujer se levanta by Eber, Christine Engla
Middlesex by Eugenides, Jeffrey
Ciudad de mujeres by Gilbert, Elizabeth
La cadena by McKinty, Adrian
La chica salvaje : una novela by Owens, Delia
Si dijéramos la verdad by Pooley, Clare
La resurrección de Fulgencio Ramírez : una novela by Ruiz, Rudy
La ciudad de vapor : todos los cuentos by Ruiz Zafón, Carlos

Historical fiction from around the world

Half of a yellow sun by Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi
The house of the spirits by Allende, Isabel.
The queen of the night by Chee, Alexander
The Glass Palace : a novel by Ghosh, Amitav.
Homegoing : a novel by Gyasi, Yaa
We were the lucky ones by Hunter, Georgia
Pachinko by Lee, Min Jin
Pearl of China : a novel by Min, Anchee
Girl at war : a novel by Nović, Sara
The most beautiful girl in Cuba by Cleeton, Chanel
La sombra del viento by Ruiz Zafón, Carlos

Books about hiking

The hike by Magary, Drew
Wild by nature : from Siberia to Australia, three years alone in the wilderness on foot by Marquis, Sarah
The national parks coast to coast : the 100 best hikes by Alvarez, Ted
The Appalachian Mountain Club's White Mountain guide : hiking trails in the White Mountain National Forest by
Falcon guide. a guide to the region's best waterfall hikes  Hiking waterfalls in New England : by Burakian, Eli
On the trail : a history of american hiking by Chamberlin, Silas.
Hiking! : the ultimate natural prescription for health and wellness by Ferranti, Philip
Walking in the mountains : a woman's guide by Frankel, Edith Rogovin.
AMC's best backpacking in New England : a guide to 33 of the best multi-day trips from Maine to Connecticut by Heid, Matt
Hiking and backpacking : outdoor adventures by
60 hikes within 60 miles. including Coastal and Interior Regions and New Hampshire  Boston : by Low, Lafe
Best hikes of the Appalachian Trail : New England by Low, Lafe
AMC's best day hikes near Boston : four-season guide to the 50 best hikes in Eastern Massachusetts by Tougias, Mike
Adventure trekking : a handbook for independent travelers by Strauss, Robert.
Your guide to the national parks : the complete guide to all 59 National Parks by Oswald, Michael Joseph
New England hiking : the complete guide to more than 380 hikes by Lanza, Michael.
Maine & Acadia National Park by St. Louis, Regis
A journey north : one woman's story of hiking the Appalachian Trail by Hall, Adrienne.
Discover Cape Cod : AMC's guide to the best hiking, biking, and paddling by O'Connor, Michael
Classic hikes of North America : 25 breathtaking treks in the United States and Canada by Potterfield, Peter.

Short stories 

To be a man : stories by Krauss, Nicole
Daddy : stories by Cline, Emma
The traveller : and other stories by Neville, Stuart
Love & other crimes : stories by Paretsky, Sara
That old country music : stories by Barry, Kevin
Tiny tales : stories of romance, ambition, kindness, and happiness by McCall Smith, Alexander
The souvenir museum : stories by McCracken, Elizabeth
First person singular : stories by Murakami, Haruki
The (other) you : stories by Oates, Joyce Carol
Reunion Beach : stories inspired by Dorothea Benton Frank by
Are you enjoying? : stories by Sethi, Mira
Channel kindness : stories of kindness and community by

Books for ocean lovers

A perfect planet : the story of Earth's power and fragility by
The guest book : a novel by Blake, Sarah
A stranger on the beach by Campbell, Michele
Migrations by McConaghy, Charlotte
Dangerous crossing : a novel by Rhys, Rachel
The Island of sea women by See, Lisa
A cruise to die for by Elkins, Charlotte.
Of women and salt by Garcia, Gabriela
Blue mind : the surprising science that shows how being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected and better at what you do by Nichols, Wallace J.
The sea around us by Carson, Rachel
The ocean of life : the fate of man and the sea by Roberts, Callum.
Atlantic : great sea battles, heroic discoveries, titanic storms, and a vast ocean of a million stories by Winchester, Simon.
The wave : in pursuit of the rogues, freaks, and giants of the ocean by Casey, Susan
The soul of an octopus : a surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness by Montgomery, Sy
The outlaw ocean : journeys across the last untamed frontier by Urbina, Ian
The lost coast by Capetta, Amy Rose

Books for pride month

Tomboyland : essays by Faliveno, Melissa
Girl, woman, other by Evaristo, Bernardine
The prophets : a novel by Jones, Robert,  Jr.
Detransition, baby : a novel by Peters, Torrey
Giovanni's room by Baldwin, James
Bestiary : a novel by Chang, Kristin
The death of Vivek Oji by Emezi, Akwaeke
Black leopard, red wolf by James, Marlon
The thirty names of night : a novel by Joukhadar, Zeyn
Red, white & royal blue : a novel by McQuiston, Casey
The secrets we kept by Prescott, Lara
On earth we're briefly gorgeous : a novel by Vuong, Ocean
The paying guests by Waters, Sarah
The secret to superhuman strength by Bechdel, Alison
Here for it : or, how to save your soul in America : essays by Thomas, R. Eric
Yes, Daddy by Parks-Ramage, Jonathan
Memorial : a novel by Washington, Bryan
Stand by me : the forgotten history of gay liberation by Downs, Jim
The Stonewall reader by
How we fight for our lives : a memoir by Jones, Saeed
With teeth : a novel by Arnett, Kristen
One last stop by McQuiston, Casey
The chosen and the beautiful by Vo, Nghi.
Written in the stars : a novel by Bellefleur, Alexandria.
Homie : poems by Smith, Danez
The vanished birds by Jimenez, Simon
The grief keeper by Villasante, Alexandra
Be gay, do comics! : queer history, memoir, and satire from The Nib by
Gay America : struggle for equality by Alsenas, Linas.
We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir by Habib, Samra

Books for national bike month

The double bind : a novel by Bohjalian, Christopher A.
The summer before the war by Simonson, Helen
Life is a wheel : love, death, etc. and a bike ride across America by Weber, Bruce
The Rosie effect by Simsion, Graeme C.
One-way ticket : nine lives on two wheels by Vaughters, Jonathan
Bicycle diaries by Byrne, David
Bicycling along the world's most exceptional routes by Penn, Rob.
Foghorn outdoors. 100 of the best road and trail rides  New England biking : by Kim, Melissa L.
Aimless love : new and selected poems by Collins, Billy
Bike repair & maintenance by Wiggins, Christopher
Wheels of change : how women rode the bicycle to freedom (with a few flat tires along the way) by Macy, Sue.

Books about growing and eating vegetables

How to create an eco garden : a practical guide to sustainable and greener gardening by Walker, John
Chetna
The new organic grower : a master
What
The sustainable vegetable garden : a backyard guide to healthy soil and higher yields by Jeavons, John.
Rodale
The deckchair gardener : an improper gardening manual by Wareham, Anne
Four-season harvest : organic vegetables from your home garden all year around by Coleman, Eliot
Vegetable kingdom : the abundant world of vegan recipes by Terry, Bryant
Superfood kitchen : cooking with nature
The 10 things you need to eat : and more than 100 easy and delicious ways to prepare them by Lieberman, Dave
Power foods : 150 delicious recipes with the 38 healthiest ingredients by
Super natural every day : well-loved recipes from my natural foods kitchen by Swanson, Heidi
Vegan for everybody : foolproof plant-based recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-between by
Garden to table : a kid

Books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

The white tiger : a novel by Adiga, Aravind.
Bestiary : a novel by Chang, Kristin
The bride test by Hoang, Helen
The kiss quotient by Hoang, Helen
A map of betrayal by Jin, Ha
The crazed by Jin, Ha
The leavers : a novel by Ko, Lisa
Rich people problems : a novel by Kwan, Kevin
China rich girlfriend : a novel by Kwan, Kevin.
Crazy rich Asians by Kwan, Kevin.
The incendiaries : a novel by Kwon, R. O.
Unaccustomed earth by Lahiri, Jhumpa.
Pachinko by Lee, Min Jin
Severance by Ma, Ling
A place for us : a novel by Mirza, Fatima Farheen
Little fires everywhere : a novel by Ng, Celeste
The sympathizer : [a novel] by Nguyen, Viet Thanh
On earth we
East : 120 vegan and vegetarian recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Sodha, Meera
Heart of fire : an immigrant daughter
The committed by Nguyen, Viet Thanh
Cooking with an Asian accent : Eastern wisdom in a Western kitchen by Compestine, Ying Chang.
The steamy kitchen cookbook : 101 Asian recipes simple enough for tonight
The spice merchant
Not here by Nguyen, Hieu Minh
Dear girls : intimate tales, untold secrets, and advice for living your best life by Wong, Ali
The making of Asian America : a history by Lee, Erika
Trick mirror : reflections on self-delusion by Tolentino, Jia
How to live safely in a science fictional universe by Yu, Charles
Love from A to Z by Ali, S. K.
Lovely, dark, and deep by Chen, Justina
Of curses and kisses by Menon, Sandhya
There
The astonishing color of after by Pan, Emily X. R.
You bring the distant near by Perkins, Mitali
Patron saints of nothing by Ribay, Randy
Frankly in love by Yoon, David
The American dream? : a journey on Route 66 discovering dinosaur statues, muffler men, and the perfect breakfast burrito by Khor, Shing Yin

Books about Food Waste & Composting

100 days of real food--on a budget : simple tips and tasty recipes to help you cut out processed food without breaking the bank by Leake, Lisa
How to create an eco garden : a practical guide to sustainable and greener gardening by Walker, John
Basic composting : all the skills and tools you need to get started by
What a waste by French, Jess.
This book stinks! : gross garbage, rotten rubbish, and the science of trash by Flynn, Sarah Wassner
Join the no-plastic challenge! : a first book of reducing waste by Ritchie, Scot
Green machine : the slightly gross truth about turning your food scraps into green energy by Donnelly, Rebecca
Trashing the planet : examining our global garbage glut by Kallen, Stuart A.
Compost city : practical composting know-how for small-space living
An (almost) zero-waste life
101 ways to go zero waste
Composting

Staff Picks: April 2021

Heat wave : a novel
The sandcastle girls : a novel
Casablanca
The Martian : a novel
Where the crawdads sing
When you read this
The silent patient
Queenie
Naturally Tan
Ayesha at last
Red at the bone
Kiwanuka
Black sands
Legendborn

Books about Libraries 

Palaces for the people
The public by
The midnight library by Haig, Matt
The borrower by Makkai, Rebecca.
The inner circle by Meltzer, Brad.
Public library and other stories by Smith, Ali
The bad-ass librarians of Timbuktu : and their race to save the world
This is what a librarian looks like : a celebration of libraries, communities, and access to information by Cassidy, Kyle
The library book by Orlean, Susan
The book woman of Troublesome Creek : a novel by Richardson, Kim Michele
Upright women wanted by Gailey, Sarah

International Women’s Day Reading List

Half of a yellow sun by Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi
In the time of the butterflies by Alvarez, Julia
Girl, woman, other by Evaristo, Bernardine
Lost children archive : a novel by Luiselli, Valeria
Convenience store woman by Murata, Sayaka
Conversations with friends by Rooney, Sally
The god of small things by Roy, Arundhati.
His only wife : a novel by Medie, Peace A.
Pet by Emezi, Akwaeke
Embroideries by Satrapi, Marjane

American Library Association list of most challenged books in 2018

Every year, in honor of National Library Week (April 7-13, 2019), ALA publishes their list of the books that were most often challenged or banned in the past year. Here’s the list with links to our catalog for your banned book reading pleasure!

Cover image for Captain Underpants
Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
Cover image for Drama
Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
Cover image of George
Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character
Cover image of Marlon Bundo
Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
Cover image of Skippyjon Jones
Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
Cover image of Part-Time Indian
Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
Cover image of The Hate U Give
Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
Cover image of Thirteen Reasons Why
Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
Cover image of This Day in June
Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
Cover image of This One Summer
Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
Cover image of Two Boys Kissing
Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content

 

Global Forum Book Group

Further Reading – Wihtout You, There is No Us

Further Reading – My Promised Land

Further Reading – All the Shah’s Men

Further Reading – I Was Told to Come Alone

Further Reading – The Other Side of Paradise

Further Reading – Country Driving

Further Reading – The New Odyssey

Further Reading – The big Truck that Went By

Further Reading- The Sixth Extinction

Further Reading – Born a Crime

Further Reading – All the Kremlin’s Men

TED Talks

TED Talks – Climate Change

TED Talks – Future of Medicine

TED Talks – Future of Medicine

TED Talks Further – Culture and Stories

TED Talks Further – Mars

TED Talks Further – Will Robots Replace Us

TED Talks Further – War and Peace

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