Madison Library District
Choice Awards
Nonfiction NOMINEES FOR 2021
Voting ended October 15!
Find all the nominees below.
Winners
1. Magnolia Table Volume 2
by Joanna Gaines
Following the launch of her #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook, Magnolia Table, and seeing her family’s own sacred dishes being served at …
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2. Too Much and Never Enough
by Mary Trump
In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and …
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3. Copycat Restaurant Favorites
by Taste of Home
Amp up your dinner routine with more than 100 restaurant copycat dishes made at home! Skip the delivery, avoid the drive thru and keep that …
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4. The Splendid and the Vile
by Erick Larson
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already …
Read the full synopsis
5. Greenlights
by Matthew McConaughey
From the Academy Award®–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the …
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6. The Pilgrim Hypothesis
by Timothy Ballard
America is a country with deep-seated roots of faith planted by pilgrims seeking religious independence. It was these men and women who paved the …
Read the full synopsis
7. Without the Mask
by Charles Bird
Charlie Bird—the viral face of BYU during his years as Cosmo the Cougar—made waves across the nation in February when he …
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8. The Milkman’s Son
by Randy Lindsay
Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as “the milkman’s son.” This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a …
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9. Floret Farm’s a Year in Flowers
by Erin Benzakein
Learn how to buy, style, and present seasonal flower arrangements for every occasion. With sections on tools, flower care, and …
Read the full synopsis
10. The Feast of Fiction Kitchen
by Jimmy Wong
and Ashley Adams
Fans of Feast of Fiction have been clamoring for a cookbook since the channel debuted in 2011. Now it’s here! Just as they do on the small screen, host …
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Other Nominees
How to Raise a Loaf and Fall in Love with Sourdough
by Roly Allen
A new generation is discovering the chewy texture and rich flavour of real bread, and sourdough is one of the biggest stories in food. You don’t …
Read the full synopsis
Entertaining with Mary Berry and Lucy Young
by Mary Berry
In this extra-special updated edition of Mary Berry’s popular entertaining cookbook, Mary makes cooking for gatherings of family …
Read the full synopsis
Attainable Sustainable
by Kris Bordessa
Packed with delicious recipes, natural remedies, gardening tips, homemaking ideas, crafts, and more, this indispensable lifestyle reference from …
Read the full synopsis
Solutions and Other Problems
by Allie Brosh
Allie Brosh returns with a new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays …
Read the full synopsis
You’re Mom
by Liz Climo
Moms: they are there for us through the good, the bad, the scary, the sticky, and everything in between. They also read us a lot of …
Read the full synopsis
Joy at Work
by Marie Kondo
The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and …
Read the full synopsis
How to Eat
by Mark Bittman
and David Katz
What is the “best” diet? Do calories matter? And when it comes to protein, fat, and carbs, which ones are good and which are bad? Mark Bittman and …
Read the full synopsis
I Want You to Know We’re Still Here
by Esther Safran Foer
Esther Safran Foer grew up in a home where the past was too terrible to speak of. The child of parents who were each the sole survivors of their respective families, for …
Read the full synopsis
Procrastibaking
by Erin Gardner
Sometimes you need to take a mini vacation from the demands of daily life, and the kitchen is the best space for it. How can you return those …
Read the full synopsis
Washington’s End
by Jonathan Horn
Washington’s End begins where most biographies of George Washington leave off, with the first president exiting office after eight years and entering what …
Read the full synopsis
The Scientist and the Spy
by Mara Hvistendahl
In September 2011, sheriff’s deputies in Iowa encountered three ethnic Chinese men near a field where a farmer was growing corn seed under…
Read the full synopsis
Paper Bullets
by Jeffrey Jackson
Paper Bullets is the first book to tell the history of an audacious anti-Nazi campaign undertaken by an unlikely pair: two French women, Lucy Schwob and …
Read the full synopsis
Abandoned Malls of America
by Seph Lawless
This collection of nearly two hundred stunning yet melancholic photos captures the decline of one of the biggest symbols of American consumerism …
Read the full synopsis
The Second Coming of the Lord
by Gerald N. Lund
Do we recognize the signs of the Savior’s Second Coming that are happening today? Originally published in 1971, The Coming of the Lord, by Gerald N. Lund, became an …
Read the full synopsis
Breath
by James Nestor
No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly …
Read the full synopsis
Poems to See By
by Julian Peters
This stunning anthology of favorite poems visually interpreted by comic artist Julian Peters breathes new life into some of the greatest English-language …
Read the full synopsis
Mobituaries
by Mo Rocca
Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries—reading about the remarkable lives of global leaders, Hollywood heavyweights, and innovators who changed the …
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Humans
by Brandon Stanton
Brandon Stanton’s Humans – his most moving and compelling book to date – shows us the world. After five years of traveling the globe, the creator of …
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The Making It Guide to Crafting
by Liz Welker
A compendium of crafting inspiration and instruction from the competition series Making It on NBC. With the all-star duo of …
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How to Raise a Loaf and Fall in Love with Sourdough by Roly Allen
A new generation is discovering the chewy texture and rich flavour of real bread, and sourdough is one of the biggest stories in food. You don’t need to be an expert baker to make your own sourdough at home; though once you’re hooked, and want to get fancy, the book will tell you what lames, bannetons, brushes and stones to invest in. The book makes the key techniques of traditional baking easy to understand, with step-by-step photo instructions and a simple overview of the magical processes that turn wild yeasts into a living baker’s starter, and a bowl of flour into a glowing crusty loaf.
6. The Pilgrim Hypothesis: Exploring the Possible Connections Between the Restoration of the Gospel, the Gathering of Israel, and the Pilgrims Who Founded America
by Timothy Ballard
America is a country with deep-seated roots of faith planted by pilgrims seeking religious independence. It was these men and women who paved the way for a free nation under God in this promised land—but what if those early voyagers were brought here for a much greater purpose? What if their arrival in this new land heralded the fulfillment of ancient prophecy,- laying the foundation of a country that would allow for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the gathering of scattered Israel?
In The Pilgrim Hypothesis, readers are presented with a gripping new investigation by best-selling author and historian Timothy Ballard as he uncovers what the early colonists—a people who believed themselves to be the “New Israel”—may have known about their role in the restoration of the gospel. Delve into a complex history bridging the centuries and spanning the globe, as each clue leads to one compelling conclusion: history and scripture may be far more intertwined than you’ve ever realized.
9. Floret Farm’s a Year in Flowers: Designing Gorgeous Arrangements for Every Season
by Erin Benzakein
Learn how to buy, style, and present seasonal flower arrangements for every occasion.
With sections on tools, flower care, and design techniques, Floret Farm’s A Year in Flowers presents all the secrets to arranging garden-fresh bouquets.
Featuring expert advice from Erin Benzakein, world-renowned flower farmer, floral designer, and bestselling author of Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, this book is a gorgeous and comprehensive guide to everything you need to make your own incredible arrangements all year long, whether harvesting flowers from the backyard or shopping for blooms at the market.
• Includes an A–Z flower guide with photos and care tips for more than 200 varieties
• Simple-to-follow advice on flower care, material selection, and essential design techniques
• More than 25 how-to projects, including magnificent centerpieces, infinitely giftable posies, festive wreaths, and breathtaking bridal bouquets
Entertaining with Mary Berry and Lucy Young by Mary Berry
In this extra-special updated edition of Mary Berry’s popular entertaining cookbook, Mary makes cooking for gatherings of family and friends easy, with over 160 recipes that work well for both small and large parties.
Lavish new photography and bonus festive recipes make this edition a precious self-purchase or an ideal gift for any Mary fan. You’ll discover how Mary cooks for her family and friends during the Christmas party season, and for other occasions and celebrations throughout the year. Timeless guidance and expert tips will help you cater successfully on a small scale for dinners and lunches around a table, or on a larger scale for drinks parties, buffets and teatime.
Adapting quantities is made easy. Recipes provide two sets of ingredients for serving either 6 or 12 guests, plus there is new advice on how to scale up recipes for any number.
Discover tips for preparing in advance, simple shortcuts and stylish presentation ideas – and cook up a feast the stress-free way with Mary.
7. Without the Mask: Coming Out and Coming Into God’s Light by Charles Bird
Charlie Bird—the viral face of BYU during his years as Cosmo the Cougar—made waves across the nation in February when he came out and revealed to BYU fans that he is gay. Now, in Without the Mask, Bird reflects on how his identity has strengthened his testimony and how he views his sexual orientation in conjunction with his faith in Jesus Christ.
Alternating between memoir and teaching chapters, Bird’s touching and authentic prose chronicles his decision to openly share that he is gay and to remain active in the faith. Highlighting the challenges Bird has faced along the way, the book also shares the blessings he’s learned to recognize through his sexual orientation. Charlie feels deeply the importance of maintaining a relationship with God and hopes this message will “spark healing, bridge gaps of understanding and inspire hope” for other LGBTQ readers and those who love them.
Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living by Kris Bordessa
Packed with delicious recipes, natural remedies, gardening tips, homemaking ideas, crafts, and more, this indispensable lifestyle reference from the popular blogger behind Attainable Sustainable makes earth-friendly living fun, real, and easy.
Whether you live in a city, suburb, or the country, this essential guide for the backyard homesteader will help you achieve a homespun life–from starting your own garden and pickling the food you grow to pressing wildflowers, baking sourdough loaves, quilting, raising chickens, and creating your own natural cleaning supplies.
In these beautifully illustrated pages, Kris Bordessa offers DIY lovers an indispensable home reference for sustainability in the 21st century, using tried-and-true advice, 50 enticing recipes, and step-by-step directions for creating fun, cost-efficient projects that will bring out your inner pioneer. Filled with 340 color photographs, this relatable, comprehensive book contains time honored-wisdom and modern know-how for getting back to basics in a beautiful, accessible package.
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
Allie Brosh returns with a new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays.
Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.
This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features all-new material with more than 1,600 pieces of art.
You’re Mom: A Little Book for Mothers (And the People Who Love Them) by Liz Climo
Moms: they are there for us through the good, the bad, the scary, the sticky, and everything in between. They also read us a lot of picture books along the way, and now there’s a picture book just for them.
Liz Climo brings her trademark wit and adorable drawings to You’re Mom: a funny, honest, and sweet homage to motherhood. Detailing the ups and downs of mothering, along with the many paths to becoming a mom and the different types of motherhood, Climo pairs humorous observations with clever illustrations of baby animals and their mothers.
With more than 100 beautiful drawings, You’re Mom is a book for the new mom, the seasoned mom, anyone in a mom-like role, or anyone who has ever loved a mom. It’s a thank you to those taking on the challenging role of parenting – and it’s also short and sweet, which means you can read it and then hopefully get some sleep!
Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo
The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being.
The authors offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. They will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that comes with a tidy desk and mind.
book 3 in the Magic Cleaning series
How to Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered
by Mark Bittman and David L. Katz
What is the “best” diet? Do calories matter? And when it comes to protein, fat, and carbs, which ones are good and which are bad? Mark Bittman and health expert David Katz answer all these questions and more in a lively and easy-to-read Q&A format. Inspired by their viral hit article on Grub Street—one of New York magazine’s most popular and most-shared articles—Bittman and Katz share their clear, no-nonsense perspective on food and diet, answering questions covering everything from basic nutrients to superfoods to fad diets.
Topics include dietary patterns (Just what should humans eat?); grains (Aren’t these just “carbs”? Do I need to avoid gluten?); meat and dairy (Does grass-fed matter?); alcohol (Is drinking wine actually good for me?); and more. Throughout, Bittman and Katz filter the science of diet and nutrition through a lens of common sense, delivering straightforward advice with a healthy dose of wit.
I Want You to Know We’re Still Here: A Post-Holocaust Memoir by Esther Safran Foer
Esther Safran Foer grew up in a home where the past was too terrible to speak of. The child of parents who were each the sole survivors of their respective families, for Esther the Holocaust loomed in the backdrop of daily life, felt but never discussed. The result was a childhood marked by painful silences and continued tragedy. Even as she built a successful career, married, and raised three children, Esther always felt herself searching.
So when Esther’s mother casually mentions an astonishing revelation–that her father had a previous wife and daughter, both killed in the Holocaust–Esther resolves to find out who they were, and how her father survived. Armed with only a black-and-white photo and a hand-drawn map, she travels to Ukraine, determined to find the shtetl where her father hid during the war. What she finds reshapes her identity and gives her the opportunity to finally mourn.
I Want You to Know We’re Still Here is the poignant and deeply moving story not only of Esther’s journey but of four generations living in the shadow of the Holocaust. They are four generations of survivors, storytellers, and memory keepers, determined not just to keep the past alive but to imbue the present with life and more life.
1. Magnolia Table Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines
Following the launch of her #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook, Magnolia Table, and seeing her family’s own sacred dishes being served at other families’ tables across the country, Joanna Gaines gained a deeper commitment to the value of food being shared. This insight inspired Joanna to get back in the kitchen and start from scratch, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone to develop new recipes for her family, and yours, to gather around.
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is filled with 145 new recipes from her own home that she shares with husband Chip and their five kids, and from the couple’s restaurant, Magnolia Table; Silos Baking Co; and new coffee shop, Magnolia Press. From breakfast to dinner, plus breads, soups, and sides, Magnolia Table, Volume 2 gives readers abundant reasons to gather together. The book is beautifully photographed and filled with dishes you’ll want to bring into your own home, including:
Mushroom-Gruyére Quiche
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Zucchini-Squash Strata
Chicken-Pecan-Asparagus Casserole
Stuffed Pork Loin
Lemon-Lavender Tart
Magnolia Press Chocolate Cake
Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done In the Most Delicious Way Possible by Erin Gardner
Sometimes you need to take a mini vacation from the demands of daily life, and the kitchen is the best space for it. How can you return those emails when there’s dough on your hands? It would be counterproductive to handle clean laundry after dipping chocolates all afternoon, right? It’s no coincidence that apple season coincides with tax time (for us extension filers, of course)—the universe is sending you a very clear message.
Pastry chef and beloved blogger Erin Gardner provides the ultimate guide to procrastibaking with pride and purpose in this inspired collection of 100 recipes, from easy one-hour projects to weekend affairs. From Case-of-the-Mondays Morning Treats, to Late-for-Everything Loaf Cakes and Fear-of-Success Snack Cakes, this book has a chapter for every procrastibaking need, and recipes to satisfy any craving for distraction. Not feeling that work project? Work on some Peanut Butter S’more Bars instead. Term paper due tomorrow? Making some No-Bake Cookies-n-Cream Pie will get the creative juices flowing. Does your mother-in-law have you channeling Scrooge? This calls for a procrasti-masterpiece, like a Gingerbread House…from scratch.
So don’t be ashamed. Put down the laundry basket. Ignore the emails.
It’s time to procrastibake.
Washington’s End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle by Jonathan Horn
Washington’s End begins where most biographies of George Washington leave off, with the first president exiting office after eight years and entering what would become the most bewildering stage of his life. Embittered by partisan criticism and eager to return to his farm, Washington assumed a role for which there was no precedent at a time when the kings across the ocean yielded their crowns only upon losing their heads. In a different sense, Washington would lose his head, too.
In this riveting read, bestselling author Jonathan Horn reveals that the quest to surrender power proved more difficult than Washington imagined and brought his life to an end he never expected. The statesman who had staked his legacy on withdrawing from public life would feud with his successors and find himself drawn back into military command. The patriarch who had dedicated his life to uniting his country would leave his name to a new capital city destined to become synonymous with political divisions.
A vivid story, immaculately researched and powerfully told through the eyes not only of Washington but also of his family members, friends, and foes, Washington’s End fills a crucial gap in our nation’s history and will forever change the way we view the name Washington.
The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage
by Mara Hvistendahl
In September 2011, sheriff’s deputies in Iowa encountered three ethnic Chinese men near a field where a farmer was growing corn seed under contract with Monsanto. What began as a simple trespassing inquiry mushroomed into a two-year FBI operation in which investigators bugged the men’s rental cars, used a warrant intended for foreign terrorists and spies, and flew surveillance planes over corn country–all in the name of protecting trade secrets of corporate giants Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer. In The Scientist and the Spy, Hvistendahl gives a gripping account of this unusually far-reaching investigation, which pitted a veteran FBI special agent against Florida resident Robert Mo, who after his academic career foundered took a questionable job with the Chinese agricultural company DBN–and became a pawn in a global rivalry.
Industrial espionage by Chinese companies lies beneath the United States’ recent trade war with China, and it is one of the top counterintelligence targets of the FBI. But a decade of efforts to stem the problem have been largely ineffective. Through previously unreleased FBI files and herreporting from across the United States and China, Hvistendahl describes a long history of shoddy counterintelligence on China, much of it tinged with racism, and questions the role that corporate influence plays in trade secrets theft cases brought by the U.S. government. The Scientist and the Spy is both an important exploration of the issues at stake and a compelling, involving read.
Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Live to Defy the Nazis
by Jeffrey H. Jackson
Paper Bullets is the first book to tell the history of an audacious anti-Nazi campaign undertaken by an unlikely pair: two French women, Lucy Schwob and Suzanne Malherbe, who drew on their skills as Parisian avant-garde artists to write and distribute “paper bullets”—wicked insults against Hitler, calls to rebel, and subversive fictional dialogues designed to demoralize Nazi troops occupying their adopted home on the British Channel Island of Jersey. Devising their own PSYOPS campaign, they slipped their notes into soldier’s pockets or tucked them inside newsstand magazines.
Hunted by the secret field police, Lucy and Suzanne were finally betrayed in 1944, when the Germans imprisoned them, and tried them in a court martial, sentencing them to death for their actions. Ultimately they survived, but even in jail, they continued to fight the Nazis by reaching out to other prisoners and spreading a message of hope.
Better remembered today by their artist names, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, the couple’s actions were even more courageous because of who they were: lesbian partners known for cross-dressing and creating the kind of gender-bending work that the Nazis would come to call “degenerate art.” In addition, Lucy was half Jewish, and they had communist affiliations in Paris, where they attended political rallies with Surrealists and socialized with artists like Gertrude Stein.
Paper Bullets is a compelling World War II story that has not been told before, about the galvanizing power of art, and of resistance.
4. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
by Erik Larson
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally–and willing to fight to the end.
In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London.
Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports–some released only recently–Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.
Abandoned Malls of America: Crumbling Commerce Left Behind by Seph Lawless
This collection of nearly two hundred stunning yet melancholic photos captures the decline of one of the biggest symbols of American consumerism—the shopping mall. Seph Lawless, whom Huffington Post refers to as the “master of the abandoned,” details the dilapidated state of these buildings that were once thriving with people and merchandise, now left to rot and be overrun with plant and animal life.
In Abandoned Malls of America, Lawless showcases haunting images of shopping malls from all across America, from his hometown of Cleveland, OH in the Midwest to Birmingham, AL in the South and all the way to Los Angeles, CA on the West Coast. Alongside these beautiful images are first-hand accounts from people who grew up going to these malls, reminiscing on the dually wistful and fond memories of their once-favorite local hangouts. These essays include anecdotes from actress Yvette Nicole Brown (Drake and Josh; Community; etc.), actor Justin Kucsulain (The Walking Dead), New Yorker investigative journalist Ronan Farrow, and more.
In this follow-up to his previous book, Abandoned, “artivist” Seph Lawless continues his journey photo-documenting the America left behind in the throes of economic instability and overall decline. Abandoned Malls of America ais a perfect read for those interested in photography, architecture, or just longing for a little bit of nostalgia.
8. The Milkman’s Son: A Memoir of Family History, a DNA Mystery, and Paternal Love
by Randy Lindsay
Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as “the milkman’s son.” This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a family secret, which begins with Randy’s dad having dreams about deceased relatives urging him to complete their family tree. Randy agrees to help with the genealogy, but after his searching leads to a dead end, he takes a commercially available DNA test. The results reveal a possible genetic match to a sister, which begins a familial quest that forever changes the author’s life.
Featuring a cast of vivid characters, richly drawn from two distinct families, The Milkman’s Son reveals one man’s family tree, pulling back layers of new information as he gets closer to the truth—a biological father, siblings, and family members he never knew about.
This is a story of accepting, forgiving, reuniting, and, most importantly, it’s about the bonds that connect us and the unconditional love that makes us feel like we belong.
The Second Coming of the Lord by Gerald N. Lund
Do we recognize the signs of the Savior’s Second Coming that are happening today?
Originally published in 1971, The Coming of the Lord, by Gerald N. Lund, became an instant bestseller and has remained continuously in print for nearly fifty years. Now this trusted resource has been fully updated and rewritten to reflect the latest prophetic teachings and a growing sense of urgency as the Lord hastens His work.
As Elder Lund explains, “God has spoken, is speaking, and will continue to speak to us through the Spirit and through His servants the prophets. This is a gift of inestimable worth to those who live in the last days. Though the title this book carries is The Second Coming of the Lord, it is much more than a book that focuses only on the actual return of Jesus Christ. It is an examination of the prophecies about the Second Coming and the events leading up to it.”
This new edition includes:
- Hundreds of the most recent statements from prophets, seers, and revelators on the signs of the times and the Second Coming, not available in the original publication.
- Extensive new commentary and scriptural insights gleaned from decades of the author’s gospel teaching and study.
- An in-depth examination of prophecies that have already been fulfilled, including those that have occurred since the original publication.
- An uplifting view on why we should look forward to the Lord’s return with anticipation rather than anxiety.
- A discussion on how to prepare ourselves and our families for what will be the greatest event still to come in this world.
As we study and come to understand the words of ancient and modern prophets, we can learn how to “abide the day of his coming” (D&C 61:39). More than simply “surviving” or “enduring” the day of His coming and the events leading up to it, we will be able to look forward to the Savior’s return with peace, calm, rest, and safety.
5. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
From the Academy Award®–winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction:
“I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.
“Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges – how to get relative with the inevitable – you can enjoy a state of success I call ‘catching greenlights.’
“So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.
“Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears.
“It’s a love letter. To life.
“It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights – and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.
“Good luck.”
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly.
There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences.
Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe.
Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is.
Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.
Poems to See By: A Comic Artist Interprets Great Poetry by Julian Peters
This stunning anthology of favorite poems visually interpreted by comic artist Julian Peters breathes new life into some of the greatest English-language poets of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
These are poems that can change the way we see the world, and encountering them in graphic form promises to change the way we read the poems. In an age of increasingly visual communication, this format helps unlock the world of poetry and literature for a new generation of reluctant readers and visual learners.
Grouping unexpected pairings of poems around themes such as family, identity, creativity, time, mortality, and nature, Poems to See By will also help young readers see themselves differently. A valuable teaching aid appropriate for middle school, high school, and college use, the collection includes favorites from the Western canon already taught in countless English classes.
Includes poems by Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, Maya Angelou, Seamus Heaney, e. e. cummings, Dylan Thomas, Christina Rossetti, William Wordsworth, William Ernest Henley, Robert Hayden, Edgar Allen Poe, W. H. Auden, Thomas Hardy, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Philip Johnson, W. B. Yeats, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Elizabeth Bishop, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Tess Gallagher, Stevie Smith, and Siegfried Sassoon.
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving by Mo Rocca
Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries—reading about the remarkable lives of global leaders, Hollywood heavyweights, and innovators who changed the world. But not every notable life has gotten the send-off it deserves. His quest to right that wrong inspired Mobituaries, his #1 hit podcast. Now with Mobituaries, the book, he has gone much further, with all new essays on artists, entertainers, sports stars, political pioneers, founding fathers, and more. Even if you know the names, you’ve never understood why they matter…until now.
Take Herbert Hoover: before he was president, he was the “Great Humanitarian,” the man who saved tens of millions from starvation. But after less than a year in the White House, the stock market crashed, and all the good he had done seemed to be forgotten. Then there’s Marlene Dietrich, well remembered as a screen goddess, less remembered as a great patriot. Alongside American servicemen on the front lines during World War II, she risked her life to help defeat the Nazis of her native Germany. And what about Billy Carter and history’s unruly presidential brothers? Were they ne’er-do-well liabilities…or secret weapons? Plus, Mobits for dead sports teams, dead countries, the dearly departed station wagon, and dragons. Yes, dragons.
Rocca is an expert researcher and storyteller. He draws on these skills here. With his dogged reporting and trademark wit, Rocca brings these men and women back to life like no one else can. Mobituaries is an insightful and unconventional account of the people who made life worth living for the rest of us, one that asks us to think about who gets remembered, and why.
Humans by Brandon Stanton
Brandon Stanton’s Humans – his most moving and compelling book to date – shows us the world. After five years of traveling the globe, the creator of Humans of New York brings people from all parts of the world into a conversation with readers. He ignores borders, chronicles lives and shows us the faces of the world as he saw them. His travels took him from London, Paris and Rome to Iraq, Dubai, Ukraine, Pakistan, Jordan, Uganda, Vietnam, Israel and every other place in between. His interviews go deeper than before. His chronicling of peoples’ lives shows the experience of a writer who has traveled widely and thought deeply about the state of our world.
Including hundreds of photos and stories of the people he met and talked with in over forty countries, Humans is classic Brandon Stanton – a fully color illustrated book that includes many photos and stories never seen before. For the first time for a HONY title, Humans will contain several of the essays Brandon’s posted online which have been read, loved and enthusiastically shared by his followers.
2. Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump
In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security, and social fabric.
Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ large, imposing house in the heart of Queens, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald.
A first-hand witness to countless holiday meals and family interactions, Mary brings an incisive wit and unexpected humor to sometimes grim, often confounding family events. She recounts in unsparing detail everything from her uncle Donald’s place in the family spotlight and Ivana’s penchant for re-gifting to her grandmother’s frequent injuries and illnesses and the appalling way Donald, Fred Trump’s favorite son, dismissed and derided him when he began to succumb to Alzheimer’s.
Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists, and journalists have sought to parse Donald J. Trump’s lethal flaws. Mary L. Trump has the education, insight, and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick. She alone can recount this fascinating, unnerving saga, not just because of her insider’s perspective but also because she is the only Trump willing to tell the truth about one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families.
The Making It Guide to Crafting: 25 Projects All Inspired by Your Favorite Makers from the Show by Liz Welker
A compendium of crafting inspiration and instruction from the competition series Making It on NBC
With the all-star duo of Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman leading the way with puns, advice, and good vibes, Making It became the competition series we didn’t know we needed, stealing our hearts and encouraging our most creative ideas. Tapping into that success, this well-rounded crafting guide will offer in-depth looks at some of the best DIY crafts that were featured on the show and inspired by the Makers themselves.
Introductions to woodworking, fiber arts, paper crafts, and more will enable readers to experiment and customize their own creations at home. And the projects are accessible to all skill levels, so you can get just as crafty as the Makers did. Drawing on the show’s hilarity, creativity, and overall positivity, this crafting guide will inspire and energize you to DIY whatever you put your mind to.
10. The Feast of Fiction Kitchen: Recipes Inspired by TV, Movies, Games & Books
by Jimmy Wong and Ashley Adams
Fans of Feast of Fiction have been clamoring for a cookbook since the channel debuted in 2011. Now it’s here! Just as they do on the small screen, hosts Jimmy Wong and Ashley Adams whip up their real-life interpretation of fictional dishes to pay homage in a genuine, geeky, and lively way. Jimmy brings a wealth of gamer and nerd cred to the table, and baker extraordinaire Ashley provides the culinary wisdom.
The quirky duo offer an array of creative and simple recipes, featuring dishes inspired by favorites such as Star Trek and Adventure Time, as well as Butterbeer (Harry Potter), A Hobbit’s Second Breakfast, Mini “Dehydrated” Pizzas (Back to the Future), Sansa’s Lemon Cakes (Game of Thrones), and dishes from the niches of gaming, comics, and animation such as Fire Flakes (Avatar), Poke Puffs (Pokemon), and Heart Potions (The Legend of Zelda).
With 55 unique and awesome dishes, this long-awaited cookbook will help inspire a pop culture dinner party, a fun night at home with family and friends, or an evening on the couch thinking about what you could be cooking!
3. Copycat Restaurant Favorites by Taste of Home
Amp up your dinner routine with more than 100 restaurant copycat dishes made at home! Skip the delivery, avoid the drive thru and keep that tip money in your wallet, because Taste of Home Copycat Restaurant Favorites brings America’s most popular menu items to your kitchen.
Inside Taste of Home Copycat Restaurant Favorites you’ll find more than 100 no-fuss recipes inspired by Olive Garden, Panera Bread, Pizza Hut, Cinnabon, Chipotle, Applebee’s, Taco Bell, TGI Fridays, The Cheesecake Factory and so many others. Dig in to all of the hearty, savory (and sweet) menu classics you crave most—all from the comfort of your own home.
With Taste of Home Copycat Restaurant Favorites, get all of the takeout flavors you love without leaving the house!
Regular Hours of Operation
- Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday - Wednesday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Thursday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Friday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Sunday: CLOSED
Closures in 2024
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- February 19 – Presidents Day
- March 22 – Staff Development Day
- April 6 – Building Maintenance
- May 25-27 – Memorial Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- July 4 – Independence Day
- August 31 – September 2 – Labor Day
- September 20 – LCEI Conference
- October 5 – Building Maintenance
- October 31 – Open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
- November 11 – Veterans Day
- November 27 – Closing at 5:00 pm
- November 28-30 – Thanksgiving
- December 24-26 – Christmas
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
Address
73 North Center
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
We are located on Center Street, just north of Main Street, by the Historic Rexburg Tabernacle.
Contact Us
(208) 356-3461
24 Hour Phone Renewal: (208) 356-6658
askmadisonlibrary@madisonlib.org