Taste summer with these cookbooks

I don't know about you, but when I think of summer, hot grills, cold ice cream, picnic tables, and corn on the cob immediately come to mind. Here is a selection of cookbooks that will help you taste summer!

	Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes by Bobby Flay 641.662 FLA In addition to unique burgers, this cookbook includes recipes for fries and onion rings, condiments and seasonings, and milkshakes. Find it in the catalog!
	The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up: Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking and More by Jamie Deen and Bobby Deen 641.578 DEE In this cookbook the Deen brothers feature summer recipes that are divided into the fun categories On the Grill, On the Field, On the Blanket, and On the Beach. You'll find dishes for a variety of tastes, including burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads, finger foods, dips, skewers, and more. Find it in the catalog!
	The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide From Bon Appetit 641.5784 RAP This cookbook features more than 350 recipes, plus grilling tips and how-to guides. Find it in the catalog!
	Recipes from an Italian Summer 641.5945 REC Check out this cookbook if you enjoy Italian food and dishes that make use of simple, seasonal ingredients. A helpful seasonal food calendar is also included at the beginning of the book. Unfortunately, few photographs accompany the recipes. Find it in the catalog!
	The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Grilling Cookbook: 225 Sizzling Recipes for Every Season 641.5784 GOO There is no shortage of recipes in this cookbook; brightly colored tabs divide the types of dishes. Helpful icons in the each section's table of contents denote recipes that are 30 minutes or less, heart-healthy, low-calorie, and make-ahead. Find it in the catalog!
	Home Made Summer by Yvette van Boven 641.564 BOV A whimsical cookbook inspired by the author's summers spent in Provence, France. Gorgeous photographs, although some recipes include ingredients that aren't readily available.  Find it in the catalog!
	Bobby Flay's Barbeque Addiction by Bobby Flay 641.5784 FLA Recipes for everything you need to have a great barbeque, including cocktails, salads, sides, and the main protein (fish, poultry, beef, pork). When it comes to grillin' and chillin', Bobby Flay is the man. Find it in the catalog!
	People's Pops by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell, & Joel Horowitz 641.862 JOR Fresh fruit and herbs and quality ingredients go into these refreshing ice pops. Find it the catalog!
	Cookies & Cream: Hundreds of Ways to Make the Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich by Tessa Arias 641.862 ARI This book pairs cookie and ice cream recipes for your own homemade ice cream cookie sandwich creations. Follow the suggested combinations, or mix and match depending on your tastes. Or do as I did-- simply make and enjoy ice cream without worrying about the cookie and sandwiching component. Find it in the catalog!
	The Perfect Scoop:Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz 641.862 LEB This cookbook includes traditional (chocolate ice cream), fun (butterscotch pecan ice cream), and out-there (black pepper ice cream) recipes. Lebovitz also includes recipes for a variety of sauces and toppings for your ice cream. Find it in the catalog!
	Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough 641.862 HOO The recipes in this book come from Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco. Each ice cream flavor sounds and looks so delectable you'll have a hard time deciding which kind to make first -- brown sugar with ginger-caramel swirl, white chocolate raspberry swirl, cookies and cream... Find it in the catalog!

New Non-Fiction

Here's a sampling of some new non-fiction titles that just hit our shelves:

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik. The why behind the properties and attributes of various everyday objects like glass and paper clips. Find it in the catalog!

Coolhaus Ice Cream Book by Natasha Case & Freya Estreller with Kathleen Squires. Ice cream, gelato, and sorbet recipes. Need I say more? Well, I'll add that a handful of cookie recipes are included as suggested pairings so you could make ice cream sandwiches if you wish. Lots of delicious photos. Find it in the catalog!

8 Keys to End Bullying: Strategies For Parents & Schools by Signe Whitson. Written by a licensed social worker and school counselor, the books presents a straighforward plan to address bullying. Find it in the catalog!

Carsick by John Waters. Infamous filmmaker Waters relates the tales of his hitchhike across America. I can just imagine. Find it in the catalog!

If I Can't Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris. True crime book detailing the heartbreaking saga of Susan Powell, her husband, and children. Includes photos. Find it in the catalog!

Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers. Ever want to get extra geeky about alcohol? This book's for you. Find it in the catalog!

The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport. Focuses on the last Russian Czar's four daughters before they were assassinated during WWI. Includes photos. Find it in the catalog!

Recommended Read: Drink This: Wine Made Simple

Drink This: Wine Made Simple (2009) by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Call #: 641.22 GRU
Find it in the catalog!

While I'm a pretty big geek when it comes to craft beer and cocktails, I've always been a novice wine drinker at best.  Overall, I was mostly okay with this, in spite of the occasional twinge of embarrassment when ordering off of a wine menu.*  However, when I traveled to Italy last fall and was forced to drink wine like an actual snob (swirling and sniffing) and I sort of fell in love with the stuff.  Of course it helped that I was drinking what would be fifty to a hundred dollar wine stateside (just a little nicer than 4 buck Chuck).   So I decided to actually learn a thing or two about wine by following the tastings in Drink This. I haven't finished all the grapes yet (good wine is expensive), but I have vastly improved my taste.

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl is a wine writer from the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area.  Her writing is very funny and practical, making Drink This a super accessible guide for those new to wine.  However, even relatively seasoned wine drinkers could probably learn something here.  The book is organized into nine major wine grapes: Zinfandel, Sauvingnon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvingon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Pinot Noir. 

For each grape, she gives the background on it (where it's grown, its history, what to love and hate about it, etc.).  Then she describes the major styles of wine from the grape, what they taste like, examples of brands, and what to pay.  Finally, she gets to the fun part: tasting the grape!  Here she picks out 5-6 styles of the grape for you to buy and taste at home.  You can have a party or drink solo.  She gives you ideas of what food to pair with the wine. 

Whether you're looking to become a wine connoisseur or just want an excuse for a party with fancy wine, I heartily recommend Drink This. It's an enjoyable and informative read that gives you a really solid plan for learning about wine (and having a good time while doing it!).   After that, if you want to step up your wine game further, check out Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. 

*"Excuse me, waiter, do you have anything pink?"

Help Yourself: It's Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You're Single

 It's Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You're Single by Sarah Eckl
Call No.: 306.815 ECK
Find it in the catalog!

Relationship self-help books aren't really my standard reading.  But this book stood out as being a little bit smarter and different than your standard "hard truths" about why you're single.  Instead, Eckl puts a positive spin on singles and women who marry later in life.  She break downs twenty-seven common myths about "what's wrong" with singles, and shows why maybe those aren't necessarily bad things.  Eckl's focus isn't on fixing yourself to land a partner.  Instead, she shows that while being single, especially if you'd rather be coupled, might be tough; it doesn't mean that there is anything fundamentally wrong with you that needs to be fixed.

Anyone who's ever been single for longer than their family or friends deemed acceptable has surely heard some of the "wrong reasons' before.  For instance, if only you "put yourself out there" (where ever "there" is), you'd meet the perfect gent.  Or my personal least favorite, "You're too picky." Because, of course, you should be happy to spend your life with just anybody!  It was affirming to hear Eckl break down each stereotype and show exactly how stupid they are.  "You're too intimidating" was one of my favorite chapters; where Eckl points out that maybe it isn't the best strategy to downplay your confidence and accomplishments just to attract a mate. 

Sarah Eckl herself married in her late thirties, after being single for most of her twenties and thirties. This book could have been a terrible "this is how I did it" guide for the later-in-life singles.  But thankfully, Ms. Eckl didn't take that route. Instead It's Not You is an empowering guide for anyone who might be less than lucky in love.

Also recommended:  Though fictional, Melissa Bank's short stories explore similar territory.  I heartily recommend both of her short stories collections, Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Wonder Spot.  Her books are funny, smart and deeply relatable.  Read them even if you are happily married!

New Non-Fiction

Here's a selection of some new non-fiction that recently hit our shelves:
 
The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature by Ben Tarnoff. Mark Twain heads to the West to explore San Francisco as it begins to boom, and meets some influential friends. Includes some black and white photos.


Devotion and Defiance: My Journey in Love, Faith and Politics by Humaira Awais Shahid. Pull quote from the book jacket:
"They cut off my microphone. I raised my voice. They vowed to defeat me. I said, 'Let the record show that someone tried.' They labeled me 'the most unmanageable woman in Pakistan.' My husband said, 'Tell me something I don't know.'"

  
A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred by George Will. I recently saw Mr. Will interviewed and he said (paraphrasing here) "I do politics commentary so I can feed my baseball habit." A history of Wrigley Field, includes some black and white photos interspersed throughout.

Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations With the Great Women of Musical Theater by Eddie Shapiro. Interviews with Elaine Stritch, Carol Channing, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and more.

A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran by Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal & Sarah Shourd. The true story of three hikers who were held in an Iranian prison after accidentally crossing over from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Sous Chef by Michael Gibney. Memoir of a sous chef who has worked with some of the most renown chefs, in some of the most renown restaurants. Foodies would enjoy this one.

Some New (and Cool) Additions to the Collection

Dancing Through It: My Journey in the Ballet by Jenifer Ringer. Ringer, a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet, pens her autobiography about her life as a dancer. Includes a section of photos. Find it in the catalog

How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean. Many illustrations and maps litter this book on the city planning of Paris. Find it in the catalog

Mission at Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain and the Trail of the Nazis by Tim Townsend. Lutheran minister Henry Gerecke is assigned to counsel the Nazi defendants of the Nuremberg trail. Includes a section of photos. Find it in the catalog

Money: The Unauthorised Biography by Felix Martin. "... a sweeping historical epic that traces the development and evolution of one of humankind's greatest inventions." Although, at 320 pages, it's not too epic. Find it in the catalog

The New Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison. A pretty extensive collection  but, unfortunately, it has no photos. Find it in the catalog

The Priority List: A Teacher's Final Quest to Discover Life's Greatest Lessons by David Menasche. English teacher Menasche's inspiring life lessons after he is diagnosed with cancer. Find it in the catalog

Vintage Quilt Revival: 22 Modern Designs from Classic Blocks by Katie Clark Blakesley, Lee Heinrich, and Faith Jones. Includes a CD-ROM of 12 printable patterns. Find it in the catalog

You Can Date Boys When You're Forty by Dave Barry. Barry's take on parenting issues. Find it in the catalog

Recommended Read: Lost Girls by Robert Kolker

When multiple sets of skeletal remains were found in December 2010, it made national news because of the likelihood of a serial killer being responsible. This has become known as the Gilgo Beach Murders (also the unidentified Long Island Serial Killer). The remains were of missing prostitutes which, alone, aren't really a priority among the media and law enforcement. It is understandable that people who put themselves at high risk aren't taken seriously, but it also makes these women perfect targets.

Lost Girls, by Robert Kolker, had to focus on the victims because these cases are yet to be solved. Kolker delves into the lives of the five women: Maureen, Melissa, Megan, Amber, and Shannan. The first five chapters are devoted to the youth and background of each woman. The next five chapters are then devoted to each woman, as her working alias, up until her disappearance. Tragically, Shannan's disappearance triggered the discovery of the other four, yet her remains were not located for another year (and it is theorized by police that her murder is not even connected to the others, or even a murder at all; additionally, remains of others have been found in this same vicinity pointing to a prolific serial killer or multiple ones ). Further chapters discuss the search for Shannan and the implications on the families, friends, townsfolk, and police.

Kolker does not examine in depth the potential suspects or theories of the case, which may turn off some readers. However, what he does do is humanize these victims and their loved ones. This tale is so much broader than the "true crime" label. And, importantly, this case highlights so many other issues: technology (easier access to escorts and john anonymity since the rise of Craigslist, etc.), feminism (prostitutes are inherently less worthy, violence against women), family (turbulent childhoods, disconnected families) and issues that affect society as a whole (money, opportunity, drugs, sex ...).

On a less serious note, my only complaint is that there are no photos of the victims and their families. I don't mean this in a voyeuristic way, but because of the many people discussed and the structure of the book, it can be difficult remembering who is who. I had to look up photos online, which helped me solidify the cast. You can view photos as part of the New York magazine article that Kolker wrote in 2011 and expanded into this book.

Find it in the catalog!