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