Books and Brews –Third Annual
Northfield Cannon Falls League of Women Voters
August 25, 2022
Books Suggested by Attendees
If/Then by Jill Lepore; nonfiction book on impact of math/stats on modern politics by renowned historian/journalist
High Conflict by Amanda Ripley
Presidential biographies and autobiographies, especially regarding Andrew Jackson
Apeirogon: A Novel, by Colum McCann; Two Palestinian individuals with daughters that are ill – some say pro-Palestinian – very hard read
Learning from the Germans by Susan Niemann – living in Germany in the 80s and how Germany is dealing with issues of historical memory
Shantaramm by Gregory David Roberts – life in Bombay in 1980s portrayed really well, though very long book
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck – classic to return to
Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, by Tim Snyder also his On Tyranny
No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age by Jane McAlevey
Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality, 1920-2020, by Elisabeth Griffith – recent, thorough, compelling history
Who Cares? How to Reshape Democratic Politics by Joan Tronto
Citizen: an American Lyric by Claudia Rankine – book length poem
Beowulf – translation by Maria Dahvana Headley
Spill Some New Brightness by Francine Tolf
Detain and Punish by Carl Lindskoog – Federal prison and detention of immigrants and practices from start of 1980 – world’s largest immigration
Good and Mad – Rebecca Traester – First couple of years of Trump’s Presidency how it changed conversations around feminism, gender and power
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari– look at humankind and its history in unique way; different social evolution
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson – agriculture from Native American and Corporate perspective
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Cloud Cukoo Land by Anthony Duerr
Mr. Mani – A.B. Yehoshua – great Israeli writer – multigenerational story going backwards – really good idea of what was happening in the Middle East – Greece, Turkey, Middle East –
Lakota America by Pekka Hamalainen – Very serious deep history of Lakota and responses to European colonization with government of United States
Honor by Thrity Umrigar – Indian American journalist returns to India, story of Hindu woman beaten for marrying Muslim – good story of culture and love intermixed – learned about Hindu-Muslim relations –
Take My Hand –by Dolin Perkins-Valdez – late 60s – nurse who is Black works for family planning clinic giving birth control shots to poor black children – historical fiction – covers forced sterilization pregnancies in pre- Roe era – really compelling read
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – followed female scientist in the 60s – fun read and a good reality check on what women in science/health had to go through
Essential Labor by Angela Garbes – Mothering as social change
How High We Go in the Dark – by Sequoia Nagamatsu, about a pandemic killing off the world – goes between different time in the world – and how originated fun read – heavy at times –
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedrick Gowab – could all do with a bit more of that
The Man who Ate Too Much: the Life of James Beard by John Birdsall– biography of very famous chef/food figure
Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Low Country by Sallie Ann Robinson– cookbook interspersed with stories, food as a way to get to know places –
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Kline – fictional world – social worker of children listed as outcasts – and changes his life
It Ain’t Truth if it doesn’t Hurt by Brandon Lacy Campos (local poet) intersection of Afro-Latino and Ojibwe identities and politics, family trauma
Complications by Atul Gawande
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi – fascinating account from someone always on the outside because of her dwarfism – her experience shows so many parallels to authoritarianism
Neither Wolf nor Dog, by Kent Nurburn, on forgotten roads with an Indian Elder
A Prayer for the Crown – by Becky Chambers part of her – Robot and Monk series – short scifi/fantasy, works that are full of hope
We Need to Build: Field Notes for a Diverse Democracy by Eby Patel
Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
The Failure of Mathematical Anti-Evolutionism, by Jason Rosenhouse
Zakhor by Y-H Yerushalmi
The Seventh Million, by Tom Segev compelling account of holocaust and Israelis
Books and Brews –Second Annual
Northfield Cannon Falls League of Women Voters
August 10, 2019
Books that were recommended:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A charming and calming read into what happened to an aristocratic man after the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311564/a-gentleman-in-moscow-by-amor- towles/9780143110439/
Doing Justice by Preet Bharara Hoping to Read. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567283/doing-justice-by-preet-bharara/9780525521129/
Little Cat’s Luck by Marion Dane Bauer
Indoor calico cat, Patches, accidentally ventures outside in search of a special place. A story of loss, loneliness, community, and love. Written using concrete poetry. It made me cry. A great book to read with children! Author lives in Minneapolis. https://www.mariondanebauer.com/bkpages/bk_littlecatsluck.html
The Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kills the Party System Fail and How they Weaken Democracy by Seth Masket. Masket explores anti-party reforms and makes the case that political parties, as networks of like-minded policy demanders, have a way of adapting and sometimes thriving despite structural changes designed to reduce their influence. Masket considers the Colorado Democratic Party’s response to federal and state- level finance regulations, partisan structures in non-partisan legislatures in Minnesota and Nebraska, and the party response to the 2003 non-partisan recall election in California. Masket suggests political party organization is so difficult to suppress because it is a critical component of democracy that helps make government more accountable to citizens’ preferences. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-inevitable-party-9780190220846?cc=us&lang=en&
Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533763/democracy-in-chains-by-nancy- maclean/9781101980972/
Maidby Stephanie Land https://stepville.com/books/
Separation of Church and State by Philip Hamburger https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674013742&content=reviews
Bridges of Madison Country by Robert James Waller https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83674.The_Bridges_of_Madison_County
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Weaving together ecological consciousness, botany, and Potawatomi Nation to move to a covenant of reciprocity.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17465709-braiding-sweetgrass
Climate of Hope by Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope https://www.climateofhope.com/
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki http://www.ruthozeki.com/writing-film/a-tale-for-the-time-being
The Overstory: A novel by Richard Powers
Huge novel and call to action on saving our precious forests. Every character is compelling and offbeat enough to “hear” the trees telling us to change our ways. Long and worth it. http://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/
Democracy in Chains by Nancy Maclean
An important book to understand how Republican and Libertarian capitalists have been quietly organizing for 50-60 years to undermine our democracy to ensure they do not need to pay taxes to support government. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533763/democracy-in-chains-by-nancy- maclean/9781101980972/
White Rage by Carol Anderson https://www.professorcarolanderson.org/white-rage
Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan Metzel https://www.dyingofwhiteness.com/
Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi
Post-apocalyptic America. Human civilization is in decline for ecologic reasons. Really interesting economy and tech.
https://windupstories.com/books/ship-breaker/
The Witch Elm by Tana French
I love Tana’s work. It’s all typically crime novels based in Ireland. Great characters. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/556486/the-witch-elm-by-tana-french/9780735224643/
How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell I am eager to read it! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600671/how-to-do-nothing-by-jenny- odell/9781612197494/
Books and Brews – First Annual
Northfield Cannon Falls League of Women Voters
August 30, 2018
Books that were recommended:
The Red Breast(Harry Hole #3) by Jo Nesbo
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Nowby Jaron Lanier, a Silicon Valley Pioneered
Wild Mares: My Lesbian Back-to-the-Land Lifeby Dianna Hunter
In the Wake: On Blackness and Beingby Christina Sharpe
A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesotaedited by Sun Yung Shin. This book is also the selection for Northfield Reads and Counts this year for which there will be monthly events.
Handmaid’s Taleby Margaret Atwood (and really, any book by her)
Go, Went, Gone– by Jenny Erpenbeck, a German novel about the European refugee crisis
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimerby Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin
Ill Wind(Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr – about southwest national parks
The President is Missing(a novel) by James Patterson and Bill Clinton
A Gentleman in Moscowby Amor Towles
Medicine Walkby Richard Wagamese – a novel that provide insight into Native American experience
Tailings: A Memoirby Kaethe Schwehn – an author with multiple St. Olaf and Northfield connections
The Rending and the Nest– By Kaethe Schwehn
Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the HumanSpirit by Parker Palmer, a Carleton alum
A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee’s Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survivalby Melissa Fleming
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Rightby Atul Gawande
The Great Aloneby Kristin Hannah about a woman in Alaska
The Nightingalealso by Kristin Hannah
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemptionby Bryan Stevenson being turned into a movie (There is also a TED talk by Barry Stevenson on not losing hope.)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankindby Yuval Noal Harari (also one of Pres. Obama’s favorite books)
When does Gender Matter?: Women Candidates and Gender Stereotypes in American Electionsby Kathleen Dolan
The Hobbitby J. R. R. Tolkein
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafelby Firoozeh Dumas – a youth book about being an Iranian immigrant middle schooler in California in the 70s
Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961by Larry Dane Brimner
Autonomousby Annalee Newitz