Announcements
Winter Sundays at the Main Library
The Farmington Main Library is open Sundays, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, January 7, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 25 & March 3, 10, 17, 24.
Good Friday Closing
The library will be closed Friday, March 29 in observance of Good Friday.
Adults
New Books
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Only Say Good Things
A JANUARY 2024 APPLE BOOKS STAFF PICK AND AUDIBLE EDITORS SELECT
A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a woman's stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefner's final days.
At just twenty-one years old, Crystal Harris' life changed forever when she attended a party at the notorious Playboy mansion. Picked out of the crowd by Hugh Hefner, she became one of his infamous "girlfriends," attending glamorous Hollywood parties and traveling the world. Yet this seemingly alluring lifestyle had a dark side. Hef controlled his girlfriends with strict rules regarding everything from their hair and makeup to their curfews, and Crystal was forced to compete with other women for her spot in the highly hierarchal system. Living at the mansion, she felt more like a fixture than a resident.
She quickly rose to the top, but being Hef's number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystal's identity outside her role in the Playboy universe. Her fate seemed sealed when Hef surprised her with a marriage proposal she could not imagine refusing. But as Crystal Hefner, she grew increasingly restless to understand who she truly was away from what she saw as Playboy's toxic culture.
In ONLY SAY GOOD THINGS, Crystal offers a vulnerable and clear-eyed look at how her experience with Hugh Hefner catalyzed her transformative journey from someone who prized external validation over all else to a person who finally recognizes her true worth. This candid memoir provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at a powerful cultural icon and brand, and an equally empowering perspective on hard-won lessons about who we allow to determine our value.
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The Women
From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era. -
When I Was Your Age
When I Was Your Age is a hilarious, heartwarming and surprising ode to growing up, getting older and wiser, and luck, life, and learning from the school of hard knocks, from SNL's longest-serving actor, Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is Saturday Night Live's longest-ever-serving cast member and a star of such pioneering sketches as "Black Jeopardy" and is hugely beloved thanks to a tidal wave of nostalgic fans who grew up on early 2000s classics All That, Good Burger, and Kenan & Kel on Nickelodeon.
He's also a dad (to two girls) in his mid-40s living in suburbia, and whose universal, relatable, family-friendly humor has created unbelievable appeal and engagement from fans from middle America to coastal elites. Becoming a dad sucked the cool right out of him -- and he's OK with that!
When I Was Your Age is packed with hilarious yet poignant essays that are aimed to offer any reader valuable advice on parenting, focusing on positivity, and having fun in life. Kids, new parents, fellow fathers, budding comics, and aunties who want to pinch his cheeks, can all learn from his biggest mistakes and most triumphant victories. There's something for everybody here!
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Edible Houseplants
The world of houseplants just got tastier with this colorful guide to growing edible plants indoors!
Houseplant enthusiasts will be delighted to discover the range of tropical plants that can be grown in containers indoors, in any location. Laurelynn and Byron Martin, owners of Logee's Plants for Home & Garden, are nationally renowned for their expertise in growing fruit-bearing and tropical plants indoors. Their colorful guide features photos and complete care guidelines for 46 food-bearing plants, includes lemons, limes, grapefruit, cherries, olives, passion fruit, papaya, and much more. Fresh, fragrant, and flavorful, Edible Houseplants expands the fun and pleasure of growing indoor plants.
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The 30-Minute Gardener
"There are lots of aspiring gardeners out there. But a large number of them-especially younger ones, with demanding jobs, growing families, and limited space-either don't have the time to garden traditionally, or are scared off from the very notion and have no idea where to start. Greg Loades comes to the rescue in this detailed, inspiring book. He shows the reader how much can actually be accomplished in no more than 30 minutes a day, from simple tasks such as renovating a rose bush or planting a layered bulb display to more complex ones like laying a patio or building a green roof. By laying out the details of the projects-which include both in-the-ground ornamental and vegetable gardening as well as container projects-he shows the reader exactly how to create a welcoming, rewarding haven that will quickly become an indispensable part of their family's lifestyle"--
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Big Heart Little Stove
Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!
Big Heart Little Stove is your new go-to inspiration for cooking thoughtful and meaningful, yet refreshingly simple meals. With more than 75 recipes and her favorite hospitality “signatures,” Erin French—author of The Lost Kitchen cookbook and the New York Times-bestselling memoir Finding Freedom—invites readers to bring a piece of her beloved restaurant, The Lost Kitchen, home with them.
With dishes pulled from French’s family recipe box and the menu at The Lost Kitchen, ranging from irresistible nibbles like Pecorino Puffs and Gram’s Clam Dip; to luscious soups like Golden Tomato & Peach and Potato & Lentil with Bacon and Herbs; to heaping platters of family-style salads and sides like Peach & Blackberry Salad and Green Beans with Sage, Garlic, and Breadcrumbs; to show-stopping main courses like Pickle-Brined Roast Chicken and Wednesday Night Fish Fry; to French’s favorite all-purpose kitchen staples like Kitchen Sink Pesto and Floral Vinegar, this cookbook has all the tools you need for assembling a seamlessly special meal.
To round things out, there are beverages to sip as dinner comes off the stove (Fresh Fruit Shrubs, Slush Puppies) and desserts to make your guests feel truly looked after (Salted Caramel Custards, Roasted Peach Pie with Almond and Fennel). And because weekend mornings deserve celebrating too, there are feel-good treats like Sunday Skillet Cakes and Little Nutmeg Diner Donuts.
Regardless of whether it’s a dressed-up affair or a quick weeknight meal, French’s recommendations are the same: Start with the best ingredients you can find, keep it simple, and serve with love.
But Big Heart Little Stove is more than just a cookbook. With tips and tricks French has used in her own dining room—at home and in the restaurant—this book is your invitation to use what’s around you to create meaningful moments, from setting a table with found treasures, to adorning dishes with edible flowers, to thoughtful gestures such as offering a cold cloth on a hot day. Full of warmth and spirit, Big Heart Little Stove will show you how to create more joy and connection around your table. -
The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful
Take an astonishing, amusing, and charmingly unconventional tour through the curious everyday lives of humans past.
No need to spend the day at an archaeological dig when you can simply make a cup of tea, clamber into your comfiest chair, and settle in with The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful, a compilation of 92 funny, strange, and strangely funny tales throughout human history.
Milo Rossi, the inquisitive mind behind the popular @miniminuteman on TikTok and YouTube, invites you to consider our own place in the long timeline of human development with this collection of anecdotes that shares the foibles, joys, and heartbreaks of being human (and an odd Neanderthal or two).
With chapters organized by the different stages and aspects of life—childhood, food and drink, friendship, play and leisure, rites and rituals, love and sexuality, fashion and beauty, education and work, sickness and health, and, of course, death—dive into a treasure trove of intriguing facts and stories, including:
- The Paleolithic cave art of a five-year-old girl
- What you would have eaten in ancient Pompeii
- The surprising and stinky origins of royal Tyrian purple dye
- Ol’ Rip, the immortal (?) horned lizard from Texas
- How to win a round of the Royal Game of Ur, a nearly 5,000-year-old board game
- And much more!
Covering various facets of everyday life, The Encyclopedia of the Weird and Wonderful is sure to make you laugh, provide some spark to your next conversation, and, maybe, even give you a new perspective on how best to live this thing called life. -
The Worry-Free Parent
Worry is contagious...
but you can stop its spreadAnxiety has an amazing ability to spread. Time and time again, when veteran counselor and parenting expert Sissy Goff has an anxious child or teen in her office, she's found they have at least one very well-intentioned but anxious parent. Anxiety is contagious, and it's likely affecting your kids, distracting you in the present, and making you feel like it will define your family's future.
It doesn't have to be this way. With over 30 years of experience helping both children and adults, Sissy offers you practical, well-researched tools that will make a difference in your life--and the lives of your children. Learn how to
· uncover the roots of your own anxiety
· process anxiety in healthy ways rather than passing it on
· model bravery
· discover a place of deeper, freer connection to your kids
Here is the help you need to experience freedom from anxiety, raise confident, courageous kids, and become a worry-free family in an increasingly anxious world.
"When meeting with parents who express worries about their kids (or themselves), I first offer encouragement and then a resource--a tool to help them feel calmer and more equipped. This gem of a book does both."--CHINWÉ WILLIAMS, PhD, therapist and coauthor of Seen: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens through the Power of Connection
"Goff's therapeutic know-how adds authority to the text, and her conversational tone and client stories will help readers see themselves in her advice. Parents concerned about their kids' stress will find this a valuable resource."--Publishers Weekly
Also available: The Worry-Free Parent Workbook, a companion resource that provides clinically proven exercises to help you pinpoint the best anxiety-fighting tools for you and your family -
Enjoying Coffee
Home coffee-making authority and author of Craft Coffee: A Manual introduces you to the wide world of coffee flavor
Have you ever purchased coffee based on delectable flavor notes--strawberry jam, milk chocolate, hazelnut--only to find none of it in your cup? It's a common experience among coffee lovers.
These days, high-quality coffee can taste all kinds of ways, thanks to roasting techniques that help draw out the qualities of the bean. In addition to that characteristic coffee taste, you really can find hints of fruit, chocolate, and nuts in your cup--all it takes is a little knowledge, a little practice, and the ability to slow down and savor.
That's where How to Taste Coffee comes in. With the same accessible, no-shame approach she took in Craft Coffee, bestselling author Jessica Easto explains why flavor notes are not always as straightforward with coffee as they are with other beverages, such as wine, beer, and spirits. You'll learn how our senses perceive coffee, what creates and affects coffee flavor, and how to practice your sensory skills, using the same tools and resources as coffee professionals.
With nineteen exercises designed to help you identify and talk about what you're tasting, you'll come away with a more developed palate, an improved ability to choose coffee you're going to love, and a better understanding of the astounding complexity contained within these tiny beans.
A must-read for any lover of coffee, How to Taste Coffee inspires readers to taste widely and sip consciously, with more appreciation, more discernment, and a greater sense of wonder.
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Native American Spiritualism
Explore the spiritual practices, legends, and traditions of various Indigenous tribes throughout the North American continent.
The Indigenous peoples of North America have followed a wide variety of spiritual traditions, many of which have been carried on to present day. Native American Spiritualism offers powerful insight into the origins and practices of Indigenous American spirituality while also providing guidance to help unlearn colonialist perspectives of Indigenous cultures and embrace an enlightened, nature-focused existence full of traditions of your own making.
This multifaceted guide to discovering your spirituality provides lessons on:
- Oral Traditions and the historical events of Mythic Time
- Key value systems of eight Nations, including the Chippewa, Sioux, and Chumash Nations
- Native American seasonal ceremonies and their cultural significance
- Everyday life in the Nations, including common foods, clothes, objects, and games
- And more!
As with every title in the Mystic Traditions series, Native American Spiritualism is a celebration of a unique and beautiful culture. As such, the subject matter and content has been treated with the utmost care and respect to ensure an accurate and reverent presentation that is accessible to a variety of audiences, and serves to further educate and foster support for these rich practices and traditions for years to come.
Illustrated with stunning imagery, Native American Spiritualism is a must-read for practitioners who wish to explore the origins of their craft and practices.
The Mystic Traditions series explores mystical and spiritual traditions and magical practices from around the world from a modern perspective. These guides offer concise introductions to the origins of mystical practices; explain key concepts, figures, and legends in these traditions; and give straightforward and engaging instruction on how to connect directly with these practices through rituals, spells, and more.
Also from the Mystic Traditions series: Celtic Mysticism, Zen Buddhism.
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