Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love

Written by Dava Sobel, this is an account of the lives of Galileo Galilei and his daughter, Sister Maria Celeste, based upon the remaining correspondence between the two as well as other biographical sources. Galileo, a man of genius and of deep religious faith, spent a lifetime battling the Roman Catholic Church over his controversial astronomical theories. Maria Celeste, one of his three illegitimate children who eventually entered a convent in Florence, was of a similar bent to her father, described by him as "a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me.”

Through the reading of this book, we become acquainted with the historical events of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including Bubonic Plague outbreaks and the Thirty Years’ War. We learn of Galileo’s introductory works in the science of physics and his inventions which included the telescope. We are able to observe the actions of this era’s men of politics, religion and science and how they influenced the future. Most of all, we are witness to the expression of deep love and friendship between a father and a daughter.

The Friday Night Knitting Club

This novel, written by Kate Jacobs, offers the reader in-depth character development, drama, sorrow, joy and more. It is the story of Georgia Walker, a single mother raising her biracial child in Manhattan, fighting the odds to achieve financial security through the growth of her yarn store business. We are witness to Georgia’s nurturing of her daughter Dakota through the difficult years of early adolescence and the return of Dakota’s father in her life. We see how Georgia’s friendships, old and new, sustain her in her personal life and how she in turn supports these friends with their circumstances. There is romance for a few of the characters, adventure for others, and a growth of independence for all. Knitting rules are placed throughout the book, intended as metaphors for life management.

Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America

Written by Robert Charles Wilson, this is a portrait of an imagined 22nd-century America, in which Julian Comstock reflects the political and social turmoil in today’s world. The most poignant political themes in the novel are the separation of Church and State, religious freedom, the US‘s dependency on oil and the increasing monetary gap between the middle and the upper classes. Additional themes include America’s consumer-driven society tainted by the desire for excess and the dangers of viral mutation from antibiotics.

This novel takes place after the age of oil, in feudal caste society. The presidency is no longer determined by election but is inherited or appointed. The whole of North America is the new USA and the USA is still at war with the Europeans, who are labeled “the Dutch,” over Canada’s northern territories. After the end of oil, an indentured class is created, these citizens sell the only thing they own, their own bodies, in order to survive.

Julian Comstock, a member of privileged class, sets off to find America and himself. Julian is accompanied by two companions, Sam and Adam, who are of the working or indentured classes. The three involuntarily get drafted into the army and are sent off to fight the Dutch. The three eventually return as heros to New York, now the US’s capital. Soon the group is threatened by their political ties to the president and Julian is faced with overwhelming opposition from the powerful Church/Feudal run government.

As well as a political novel, Julian Comstock is a coming of age story. I would recommend this book to both adults and older teens, especially lovers of Science Fiction.

About the Author
Robert Charles Wilson, born in 1953, has been a full-time professional writer since 1986. He has published 14 novels, numerous short stories, and several non-fiction pieces and book reviews. He lives in Concord, Ontario, with his wife Sharry, a professional proofreader. Wilson received the Hugo award for his novel Spin in 2006.

Read-a-likes:

Paul Park
Alison Sinclair
Eric Nylund
Pat Murphy

Books on Baking: Ban Those Winter Blues

The book Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking, written by Nick Malgieri, is an ideal selection for beginning and intermediate bakers. Each of its twenty chapters highlights a different baking technique; its 125 recipes include numbered steps and many photographs.

Baked Explorations : Classic American Desserts Reinvented, written by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, is the second book from the owners of the Brooklyn bakery Baked. (They now own a second bakery in Charleston, South Carolina.) Seventy-five recipes are distributed in chapters featuring breakfast, tarts and pies, cookies and bars, cakes, confections and pastry. The authors have appeared often on television with Oprah, Martha Stewart, and on the Food Network.

The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, written by Anne Byrn, is one of several Cake Mix Doctor books from the author. Using gluten-free cake mixes in combination with a variety of other items, Byrn produces cakes, cupcakes, brownies, bars and cookies, frosting and more from over seventy-five recipes. Byrn often appears on television shows' cooking segments.

Sarabeth's Bakery : from My Hands to Yours, written by Sarabeth Levine with Rick Rodgers, is the first cookbook from the longtime Manhattan bakery owner. Scones, muffins, croissants, cookies, and other classics, often paired with the spreadable fruits for which Sarabeth is known, are featured in her step-by-step recipes accompanied by photos. More advanced recipes are presented too.

Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books

The author, Aaron Lansky, was a graduate student who took a Yiddish language class. At that time, Yiddish was believed to be a dying language. His professor encouraged him to travel to New York to search for some Yiddish books. Aaron was able to track down an assortment of them that someone was throwing out. He realized that if something wasn’t done, soon there wouldn’t be any Yiddish books left in the world. So began Aaron’s adventures as a collector and distributor of Yiddish books.

Working with a small group of like-minded friends, Aaron created the National Yiddish Book Center. They traveled cross-country and around the world to rescue Yiddish books being discarded because their owners were moving from their homes and didn’t have room for them, or the children who inherited the books weren’t able to read them. For each donation of books, they also were showered with an abundance of home-cooked meals and colorful stories. Eventually the group established a permanent library on a New England college campus, where the collection of over one million and a half books is available, some for reference use and some for circulation. An ongoing digitization project will guarantee the perpetuation of these works.

New Year's Resolutions: Grow Your Finances

Is 2011 the year you want to increase your personal wealth? Here are some books to help you.

“Debt Free for Life”, written by David Bach, offers tips on how to get out of debt and avoid incurring new debt using his Debt Wise program. He also shows how to lower the interest rates on credit cards, fix your credit report and score, get non-profit credit counseling, and more.

“Getting Started in Rebuilding Your 401(k) Account: A Comprehensive Guide to a Strong Retirement Portfolio, Second Edition”, written by Paul Katzeff, is a current handbook on restoring your investments to their pre-recession levels. From the basics of 401 (k) plans, to new rules about them, to choosing the right investments, this guide can assure your financial future.

“The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less”, written by John Robbins, focuses on finding success through health and happiness, not financial wealth. He offers tips on living on less, fitness through diet and exercise, and planning for economic catastrophes.

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Afternoon Book Discussions

Join us once a month, on a Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, to discuss a fiction or non-fiction book selection. Coffee, tea and cookies are served. Books are available at the Circulation Desk four weeks before the discussion date. Our schedule is:

January 19th
“Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books”, by Aaron Lansky

February 16th
“Friday Night Knitting Club”, by Kate Jacobs

March 16th
“Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love”, by Dava Sobel

April 20th
“Three Junes”, by Julia Glass

May 18th
“The Lost Painting”, by Jonathan Harr

June 15th
“Art of Racing in the Rain”, by Garth Stein