Fresno County Library Bookshelf: Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
The Fresno County Library’s Bookshelf column shares suggestions for books, music, and other items, and provides information about library programs. All libraries will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Top 5 Most Requested Books
▪ “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up,” by Marie Kondo.
▪ “Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently,” by David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D.
▪ “My Name is Lucy Barton: A Novel,” by Elizabeth Strout.
▪ “Rogue Lawyer,” by John Grisham.
▪ “The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir,” by Ruth Wariner.
New Arrivals
▪ “Henna House: A Novel,” by Nomi Eve. A glimpse into a world almost unknown to outsiders: life in Yemen’s tradition-bound Jewish community during the 1920s, and one girl’s struggle to escape those enduring ties and join the fast-changing modern world.
▪ “The Werewolf of Bamberg,” by Oliver Pötzsch, translated by Lee Chadeayne. Mangled bodies are piling up in 17th century Germany, and Jakob Kuisi is trying to find out who – or what – is driving up the murder rate.
▪ “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,” by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer. For those who wonder how America’s extremely poor survive, this book contains the shocking, and sometimes unbelievable, answers.
Remembering the Civil Rights Era
▪ “And Still I Rise: Black America Since MLK, An Illustrated Chronology,” by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Kevin M. Burke. This year-by-year review of the African-American experience is a companion book to the acclaimed PBS series.
▪ “Night on Fire,” by Ronald Kidd. Billie Sims, a tomboy in the Deep South, finds herself swept into the currents of the civil rights movement. Like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a coming-of-age novel and a perfect introduction to the period for teenagers.
▪ “March, Books One and Two,” by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, with art by Nate Powell. The longtime social justice leader recounts his role in the turbulent 1960s, this time in graphic novel form.
Events
▪ Jazz at the Library: Featured performer Harvey Wainapel will play and discuss "choro," traditional Brazilian jazz/dance/folk music. 7-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Woodward Park Regional Library. Details: 559-600-3135.
▪ Crafters Social Circle: Learn, teach, talk about, and have fun with various crafts. 5-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Caruthers Branch Library. Details: 559-864-8766.
▪ San Joaquin Literacy Reading: A dramatic reading for teens and adults performed by the San Joaquin Literacy Association of California State University, Fresno. 2-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Betty Rodriguez Regional Library. Details: 559-600-9245.
This is a weekly column written by the Fresno County Public Library staff. Events are usually free. Visit fresnolibrary.org, or call 559-600-6227 for details.
This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Fresno County Library Bookshelf: Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.."