Afternoon Book Discussions: January through June 2017

            Join us for our afternoon book discussions, held on the third Wednesday each month, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Here is what is scheduled for the first half of 2017.

            My Beloved World is written by Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic American Supreme Court Justice. She shares the story of her life before becoming a judge, describing her youth in a Bronx housing project, the ambition that fueled her Ivy League education, and the individuals who helped shape her career. The discussion takes place on January 18^th.

            Girl Waits with Gun, a novel, is written by Amy Stewart. Living in virtual isolation years after the revelation of a painful family secret, Constance Kopp is terrorized by a belligerent silk factory owner and fight back in ways outside the norm for early twentieth-century women. The discussion takes place on February 15^th.

            Mountains beyond Mountains is written by Tracy Kidder; it is a portrait of infectious disease expert Dr. Paul Farmer, following the efforts of this unconventional Harvard genius to understand the world’s great health, economic, and social problems and to bring healing to humankind. The discussion takes place on March 15^th.

            Circling the Sun: a Novel is written by Paula McLain. It is about aviator Beryl Markham, who was raised by her father and the Kipsigis tribe in 1920s Kenya. Beryl endures painful losses before entering a passionate love triangle and discovering her unconventional true calling. The discussion takes place on April 19^th.

            Nora Webster: a Novel, is written by Colm Toibin. Struggling with grief and financial hardships after the death of her beloved husband, widow Nora Webster struggles to support her four children and clings to secrecy in the intrusive community of her childhood before finding her voice. The discussion takes place on May 17^th.

            The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is written by Rebecca Skloot. It documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization, and gene mapping. The discussion takes place on June 21^st.

            

Dogs

            Dogs and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years. Because of our interest in our canine friends, many books have been written about them. Here are a few new ones.

            Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell, is written by Alexandra Horowitz, a leading researcher in dog cognition who also has written Inside of a Dog, As we already know, dogs gather most of their information about the world through their noses; they have hundreds of millions of olfactory receptor cells in comparison to humans’ mere six million. Horowitz describes the many ways humans can train dogs to help us identify various substances, upcoming weather, upcoming earthquakes, and more. The book is both informative and fun to read.    

            Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home, written by Pauls Toutonghi, is the story about Gonker, a six-year-old Golden Retriever mix who bounded away while hiking with his owner Fielding Marshall on the Appalachian Trail. Since Gonker has Addison’s disease it is imperative that he be found within twenty-three days or he will die. Fielding, his parents and his sister go into overdrive searching for him and publicizing his disappearance on the media. This is a heartwarming story with a positive ending.

            Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days, is written by Brandon McMillan, the well-known animal trainer who hosts the television shows Lucky Dog and Shark Week. Simple instructions and black-and-white photos provide the reader with a guide to teaching your dog the seven common commands: sit, stay, down, come, off, heel, and no. Problems with housetraining, door dashing, chewing, barking, digging, and mealtime also are covered.

            Every Dog: The Ultimate Guide to Over 450 Dog Breeds is written by Nancy Hajeski. The book is divided into chapters encompassing the various types of dogs - i.e. scent hounds, terriers, guarding dogs, and more. Each chapter devotes a page to each breed within that type. Included are color photos, description, history, and indicators as to ease of training, affection, playfulness, whether they are good with children and with other dogs, etc.

New Cookbooks

Here are a few new books that we have added to our cookbook collection.

The Chew Approved: The Most Popular Recipes from the Chew Viewers, edited by Ashley Archer, is a collection of recipes endorsed by the hosts of this TV show. On the show, hosts Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz, and Michael Symon work with audience members to prepare dishes. Of the recipes in this book, some are the most popular from the viewer audience and some are from the hosts themselves; all of them are available to viewers through computer download. There are five chapters entitled: 1. Breakfast Bonanza; 2. Amazing Appetizers; 3. Weeknight Wonders; 4. Fabulous Weekend Feasts; and 5. Sensational Sweets. All of the recipes include ingredients, cooking instructions, number of servings, prep time, and cook time. The names of recipe contributors, comments from hosts, and many color photos also are provided.   

The book Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions is written by Domenica Marchetti. The recipes in this book go beyond the typical American jams and relishes. Through the author’s collection of family recipes and her travels through the different areas of Italy, we are given a variety of foods – those preserved in oil, or in vinegar, or in alcohol – those featuring tomatoes and sauce – confections – simple cured meats – and more; all preserved at the peak of their flavors and ready to enjoy year-round. 

A La Mode: 120 Recipes in 60 Pairings: Pies, Tarts, Cakes, Crisps, and More Topped with Ice Cream, Gelato, Frozen Custard, and More is written by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. The authors have been featured on various TV shows and QVC, host a cooking podcast Cooking with Bruce and Mark, and have written several cookbooks and magazine articles. The combinations of pastries and frozen treats are out-of-this-world. Calorie counts are not included (why would you want them?) Color photos accompany the text.

Best Salty Sweet Snacks: Gooey, Chewy, Crunchy Treats for Every Craving is written by food writer and editor Monica Sweeney. Five chapters are comprised of five different types of snacks: 1. Gooey Snacks – such as salted butterscotch fudge; 2. Savory Snacks – such as peanut butter bacon cookies; 3. Crunchy Snacks – such as chocolate marshmallow popcorn balls; 4. Chocolaty Snacks – such as chocolate-covered potato chips; and 5. Nutty Snacks – such as salted almond brittle. Ingredients, instructions, number of servings, and color photos are all provided.

November is American Diabetes Month

             Diabetes is becoming more prevalent among the American population. If you or a loved one is diabetic, you might want to read some of these current books.

            Ask the Experts: Expert Answers about Your Diabetes, is a compilation of pertinent questions asked by the readers of Diabetes Forecast. It covers such topics as nutrition, exercise and weight loss, monitoring blood glucose, insulin and oral medications, complications, and more.

            The Low-Carb Diabetes Solution Cookbook: Prevent and Heal Type 2 Diabetes with 200 Ultra Low-Carb Recipes is written by Dana Carpender. The book presents 200 recipes that are very low in carbohydrates (grains and starches). They also do not have any gluten, artificial sweeteners, or other processed ingredients.

            The second edition of The Diabetes Dictionary is published by the American Diabetes Association. It provides clear, easy-to-understand definitions to more than 500 terms relating to diabetes.

            21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Nutrition is written by Stephanie Dunbar and published by the American Diabetes Association. This book answers the 21 most common questions/issues about diabetes and nutrition. It also includes information on carbs, proteins, fats, supplements, artificial sweeteners and more.

            Your First Year with Diabetes: What to Do, Month by Month is in its second edition and is written by Theresa Garnero. This is a week-to-week guide to managing diabetes and includes information about medications, exercise, meal planning, and lifestyle and emotional issues. It also gives easy-to-follow guidelines for creating a care plan.

            Dr. George L. King is the chief science officer of the Joslin Clinic at Harvard University. He has written The Diabetes Reset: Avoid It, Control It, Even Reverse It: A Doctor’s Scientific Program. In this book he presents eight evidence-based strategies to potentially reverse type 2 diabetes by resetting the body’s glucose mechanism.

            The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet: How to Beat Diabetes Fast (and Stay off Medication) is written by Dr. Michael Mosley. Here he is plan to treat and possibly cure diabetes using changes in diet. A diet plan and recipes are given.

            In the book Eat, Chew, Live: 4 Revolutionary Ideas to Prevent Diabetes, Lose Weight and Enjoy Food Dr. John M. Poothullil, a pediatrician and allergist proposes his theory that diabetes can be prevented through nutrition management. He recommends reducing our intake of carbohydrates,, increasing our intake of nutrient-rich foods, and mindful eating.