Chevy Chase
Neighborhood Library

Coffee Table Books to Make You Look Smart

Books you probably haven't read but boy do they make you look interesting!

A brand new year has just begun and you find yourself full of energy and the motivation needed to ensure that 2019 is one for the books. Of course you're going to lose that last pesky ten pounds, start off every morning with 30 minutes of meaningful meditation and finish at least one book a month.

What's Out There?

"The stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me.” -Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

The wide vacuum of space: black, never-ending, mysterious and beautiful. Haven’t you ever wondered what could be lurking among the stars? These YA novelists have a few ideas, and not all of them involve peaceful alien alliances or inter-dimensional romance. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

#IamNotMyHair

Non-Fiction books focused on Hair-Care

People often times see their hair as a major reflection of themselves. In many cases, a deep personal relationship is established between a person and their hair. Hair and beauty is a multi-billion dollar industry and it is estimated that a person will spend 50,000 on hair over their lifetime.

John Dies at the End

Spoiler alert: The main character might bite the dust

Not every book has a happy ending so don't get too attached to the main character in these, they might not make it. Major spoilers ahead, so if you don't want to know the fate of the main character, stop reading now. Atonement by Ian McEwan

DC's Wild, Wondrous Heart

Ecological, Historical & Poetic Explorations of Rock Creek Park

When many people think of our nation's capital, they focus on its political life. Yet residents here know our city environment encompasses much more than federal politics. At its heart lies my favorite area, Rock Creek Park. Over double the size of Central Park, it includes forests, streams, hills, fields, recreational and historical sites. Here residents and tourists can escape from urban stress, slow down, engage in recreation, and commune with nature.

Mansplaining

Well these certainly aged like avocados...

Books written by men who later found themselves in hot water about the very subject they claimed to be an expert on. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Hilariously Bad Books

Books that are so bad that they're goo—well, no. They're still pretty bad. But at least they're entertaining. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Worlds Where Senses Mix, Part Two

Explorations of Synesthesia in Adult and Teen Fiction

The last few decades have seen a resurgence of interest in synesthesia, the neurological condition in which a stimulus of one sense involuntarily evokes another sense (such as hearing colors or tasting words). Not only has synesthesia become a well-developed area of research within neuroscience, but many new works of literature, along with new attention on certain older works, have broadened awareness of this fascinating phenomenon.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl Cover

#QuirkyWomenOfColor

Sisters who are smart, silly and social-media savvy.

These women of color are taking the world (wide web) by storm and unapologetically telling their stories. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae

Worlds Where Senses Mix, Part One

Explorations of Synesthesia in Children's Fiction

Young people are often taught that humans have five separate senses. However, the neurological condition of synesthesia, in which a stimulus of one sense involuntarily evokes another sense, challenges the assumed universality of distinct senses. Although once thought to be very rare, recent scientific research has found that as many as 4 percent of people have at least one of over 80 kinds of synesthesia.

Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library