March: Enchantments of the Mississippi by Thomas Becknell

 I'm picking "Enchantments of the Mississippi River" by Thomas Becknell for my March pick. I've been wanting to sit by the river and read it - and spring seems like a great time to do that. There are copies at the library. The author is a former professor of mine at Bethel and led by England Term semester my last year of college.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a time of desolation, Thomas Becknell is drawn to the Mississippi River, then caught by its powers of enchantment. He sets out to learn about the river’s great allure, to be near it and to ponder what it might show him. 
          Enchantments of the Mississippi takes you on a contemplative journey of time and place. It does not follow a linear path from source to sea. Rather, its chapters are shaped by topography and memory. Its sequence is the mystery of the river’s unfolding. It tells a story of falling in love with the currents of time, the beauty of life, and the consolation of spirit. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas Becknell grew up on the plains and prairies of Wyoming and Nebraska. He received his PhD from the University of Iowa and taught literature and writing in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for thirty-five years. His early love of stories, creeks, and streams led to a later fascination with the Mississippi River, and to the writing of this book.

https://www.thomasbecknell.com/the-memior

Here's a link to the story the Messenger ran on the book: https://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/stories/enchanted-by-the-mississippi,22121?

February 2024: 'Endgame: The Calling' by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton

 Kass's first book pick will be: I am opting for James Frey's "Endgame: The Calling" for February. I've always wanted to talk with someone else who has read this book/this trilogy and NOW I CAN! There aren't many hard copies at the Hennepin libraries, but there are 13 ebooks.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The New York Times bestseller and international multimedia phenomenon!

In each generation, for thousands of years, twelve Players have been ready. But they never thought Endgame would happen. Until now.

Omaha, Nebraska. Sarah Alopay stands at her graduation ceremony—class valedictorian, star athlete, a full life on the horizon. But when a meteor strikes the school, she survives. Because she is the Cahokian Player. Endgame has begun.

Juliaca, Peru. At the same moment, thousands of miles away, another meteor strikes. But Jago Tlaloc is safe. He has a secret, and his secret makes him brave. Strong. Certain. He is the Olmec Player. He's ready. Ready for Endgame.

Across the globe, twelve meteors slam into Earth. Cities burn. But Sarah and Jago and the ten others Players know the truth. The meteors carry a message. The Players have been summoned to The Calling. And now they must fight one another in order to survive. All but one will fail. But that one will save the world. This is Endgame.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nils Johnson-Shelton is the coauthor of the international bestseller No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels. He is also the author of the Full Fathom Five series for tweens Otherworld Chronicles.

James Frey is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. His books A Million Little Pieces, My Friend Leonard, Bright Shiny Morning and The Final Testament of the Holy Bible have all been bestsellers around the world. He is married and lives in New York.

January 2024: 'When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals' by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

 Kevira has picked 'When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals' by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson as our first book of 2024.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This national bestseller exploring the complex emotional lives of animals was hailed as "a masterpiece" by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as "marvelous" by Jane Goodall.

The popularity of When Elephants Weep has swept the nation, as author Jeffrey Masson appeared on Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, and was profiled in People for his ground-breaking and fascinating study. Not since Darwin's The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals has a book so thoroughly and effectively explored the full range of emotions that exist throughout the animal kingdom.

From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor Susan McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals, When Elephants Weep assures that we will never look at animals in the same way again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Masson has had at least four lives: first as a boy raised to become a "spiritual leader" (see his denunciation of such a life in My Father's Guru). While in the middle of his disillusion, he became a professor of Sanskrit at the University of Toronto. At the same time he trained to become a Freudian analyst. Upon graduation he became Projects Director of the Freud Archives, and was scheduled to move into Freud's house in London when fate intervened: Masson found documents which seemed to show that Freud was right in believing that many women had been sexually abused as children, and that he was wrong to give up this belief, perhaps impelled by societal displeasure at his discoveries. Saying this publicly turned Masson into a psychoanalytic pariah, and he gave up both his professorship and his analytic career to delve into the far more fascinating world of animal emotions. Two of his books, WHEN ELEPHANTS WEEP and DOGS NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE, were New York Times best-sellers. He became vegetarian as a result of his research, and later, when he looked into the feelings of farm animals, he became even stricter, and no longer eats or uses any animal product (vegan). Harpercollins published his book: THE DOG WHO COULDN'T STOP LOVING: HOW DOGS HAVE CAPTURED OUR HEARTS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. He subsequently published a book about becoming vegan: THE FACE ON YOUR PLATE: THE TRUTH ABOUT FOOD. His book BEASTS: WHAT ANIMALS CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF GOOD AND EVIL is about the us/them divide. He lived on a beach in New Zealand with his two sons, Ilan and Manu, and his German wife, Leila, a pediatrician who works with children on the autistic spectrum (using the bio-medical approach), Benjy, a golden lab, and three cats for 14 years. They moved to Europe (Malaga and Berlin) and are now living in Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. They often travel to the States to see their grandchild, and Europe to see Leila's family. Jeff has just signed a contract with St. Martin's to write about the death of dogs (and other animals we consider family).

Dec 2023: social

 Shoe sizes:

• T- 7.5
  
• A- 6.5/7
  
• B- 9
  
• C- 9
  
• A- 9
  
• J-
• S- 11
  
• Ke- 9
  
• Ka- 10
  

Nov 2023: The Measure by Nikki Erlick

 Susan's pick for November is "The Measure" by Nikki Erlick. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick!

"A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us." —Jenna Bush Hager

A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious, and invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Erlick is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Measure. Her work has also appeared online with New York Magazine, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, The Huffington Post, Indagare Travel, BookTrib, and Vox Media. She graduated Harvard University summa cum laude and was an editor of The Harvard Crimson. She earned her master's degree in Global Thought from Columbia University.

Oct 2023: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

 Julie picked "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin for us to read in October 2023.

Sept 2023: The Last Policeman

 Andrea picked “The Last Policeman” by Ben H. Winters for September 2023.

August 2023: social

July 2023: Under the Whispering Door

 Cass picked "Under the Whispering Door" by TJ Kline for July 2023.

June 2023: Children of Blood and Bone

 Amy wrote: For June I'm choosing a young adult fiction book highly recommended by Josey! "Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi

May 2023: Murder on the Red River by Marcie Rendon

I wrote: "I'm picking a Native American author who lives in Minneapolis for May. This is the first in the series. Her third book in the series (Sinister Graves) came out a few months ago. The book is Murder on the Red River by Rendon, Marcie R."

We had a lovely visit with Ms. Rendon. Two author visits in a row!

April 2023: Departure Stories: Betty Crocker made matzoh balls (and other lies) by Elisa Bernick

Kevira selected a book written by a friend of hers for April 2023. (We did a social in March as I was out of town.) We read “Departure Stories: Betty Crocker made matzoh balls (and other lies)” by Elisa Bernick and had a lovely visit with the author.

February 2023: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

 Susan picked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab for our February 2023 book.

January 2023: The Radium Girls

Julie picked The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore for our January 2023 read.