Library Blog

Gold Mine Processing Associate, Brenda Cook, recommends Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand. 

The story unfolds and is derived from the journals authored by Louis Zamperini during his life as a legendary four-mile runner at the Berlin Olympics during World War II.  

In 1941, Zamperini enlisted as a lieutenant in the Army Air Force and became a bombardier. His aircraft is shot down over the Atlantic, during which he and a couple fellow troopers survive after spending 47 days adrift at sea. Sharks, weather, starvation, injuries, and madness were tough enough to fend off, but unbeknownst to them it was only the beginning of their nightmare. 

After finally landing on shore, Zamperini and the other survivors are captured by the Japanese and placed in a war camp. Zamperini journalizes the brutality and inhumane treatment he and many at the camp endured during the two-year tenure. He especially is treated worse than most because his captors, one especially known as “the Bird” who knew of his Olympian abilities and wanted to mock and break him mentally and physically. 

Though disturbing to hear of what some prisoners-of-war had to endure, the story’s importance needs to be conveyed to give an understanding of their sacrifices and also why so many suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Zamperine’s strength, endurance, faith, and mental and physical control helped him survive. 

This was a great book and I appreciate our service people all the more because of it. 

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.

Children’s Librarian Judy Zimmer recommends Rising Above Shepherdsville by Ann Schoenbohm.

This novel drew me in with the opening paragraph:

“There I was, Mama, standing in the tall grass right next to the Redeemer Baptist Church, the day after the Fourth of July, when I spied what I would have sworn on a heap of Bibles was an angel rising straight up to heaven. Enormous white wings spread and soared above me in a sunset so pink and gold, it promised miracles-even here in Shepherdsville, Ohio- a place badly in need of divine intervention.”

In 1977, twelve-year-old Dulcie Dixon is dumped at her aunt’s house by her stepfather after the untimely death of her Mama.

This is a novel that has stuck with me, one that I would even read again. The last person I recommended it to remarked that it had brought her to tears.

I recommend it for upper middle school kids and adults alike.

Find it in Juvenile Fiction here.

Children’s Librarian, Ellen O’Dell, recommends The Blue Zones Kitchen by Dan Buettner.

The recipes in The Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook are the perfect remedy for those with wanderlust!

Be transported to island communities like Ikaria, Greece, or the tropical beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. This cookbook explores the typical recipes in the world’s “Blue Zones,” or places with an extraordinarily long life expectancy.

The author, Dan Buettner, spends quality time with families in each region, observing the people and their habits while carefully documenting the food that they eat.

Buettner says of Blue Zones, “These people don’t live longer because of supplements, pills, or hocus-pocus antiaging serums. They do so because their surroundings nudge them into the right behaviors.” In addition to eating whole foods and simple meals, Buettner notices that people often cook and enjoy their meals together.

When cooking at home, I prioritize healthy meals that come together efficiently. A few recipes require a long prep time, but many take less than an hour. My new favorite dishes include Summer Pasta from Sardinia, Italy, and the Gallo Pinto from Costa Rica. I can prepare both of these dishes quickly on a weeknight, plus they make plenty of leftovers. Once the colder weather arrives, I look forward to revisiting this cookbook and making some Minestrone! These meals emphasize using whole foods, fresh produce, and herbs.

Many of these recipes are vegetarian – or even vegan! – and require minimal ingredients, making them simple and budget-friendly. While some cookbooks may call for spices or other items not commonly used in my kitchen, I already had most of the items for these recipes. If you check out The Blue Zones Kitchen, you can look forward to beautiful photography, interesting stories, and inspiration to try healthy new recipes.

Find The Blue Zones Kitchen in print here.