Story Tags

Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood

Hollywood Babylon: Biographies of the Golden Age of Cinema

There’s something wrong in Hollywood

Everyone loves a good story. The Golden Age of cinema, filmmaking during the 1910s - 1960s, was no exception. Tinseltown was, and still is, in the business of mythmaking and -- from the “lowly” assistant to the matinee idol -- everyone had a tale of victory and calamity, intrigue that attracted (or was generated by) the rumor mill. These Hollywood hopefuls wrestled against studio-contrived standards that transcended the screen and into the collective consciousness.

Mending Life

Mending Clothes & Ourselves

Inspirational and Instructional Books on Mending

As Elizabeth Cline explores in Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, our overconsumption of textiles is ecologically disastrous, contributes to labor and human rights abuses, and is bad for our souls.

The Homesteader's Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook

Egg-cellent Backyard Chickens

Highly Recommended Books on Raising Chickens

Interest in chicken-keeping and sales of chicks have risen dramatically since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you too dream of raising chickens or just want to learn more about what is involved in such an endeavor, the books below can assist and inspire you. One day you may delight in freshly laid eggs, enjoy the company of feathered friends, and achieve greater self-sufficiency.

What Matters Most

Financially Fit DC

A Reading List for Creating Generational Wealth

It is never too early to start making a strategy for building generational wealth. Here are some books for thinking long term about life insurance, student debt, and other strategies for thinking long-term about wealth-building. After you explore the books, take a look at DC government's Financially Fit DC tool for taking care of your finances.

Shall Not Be Denied

100 Years of the Vote

Women's Suffrage for Adults

This August, the United States celebrates 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The fight for the vote was not over then, but it was a major step forward for so many and was the culmination of a fight that had been waged for decades. 

Book cover This Road I Ride

Bicycle Journeys

Epic adventures on two wheels

Are you a metro-area bicycle commuter who dreams of strapping a set of panniers onto your bike and heading far from the madding crowd? One needn’t be a cyclist to enjoy a tale of long-distance cycling – experience perhaps doesn’t even help the enjoyment. The books below are a combination of first-person narratives of explorations of undiscovered territories, both external and internal, and well-researched histories of epic journeys across continents.

How to Walk by Tich Nhat Hanh

Take a Hike

Books on traveling by foot

As the days of the health emergency have continued, many of us have found comfort and happiness in taking in time outdoors. Whether traveling along city streets or taking a break in a wooded park, walking can be immensely beneficial to us humans in a myriad of ways. These six titles celebrate taking the road by foot, from its effects on our mental health to what we can learn spiritually from the practice to how our bodies reap the benefits of simply putting one foot in front of the other again and again and again.

Danube cover

Along the Danube

The lower Danube River is a route rich in history and nature. In 2014, I had my first view of the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. Instead of a group tour of eastern Europe, I decided a river cruise would be a relaxing way to see more of this magnificent river and the countries along the way. Below are a selection of related titles I've read and enjoyed. Copies are available to check out and download from the library system.

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube

Strong Appeal

Books I Put on Recent Recommendation Lists for Both my Mom and Sister

I like to think there are many perks to having a librarian in the family. My arts and crafts skills are impeccable, I can organize like nobody’s business, and, provided I know you well, I can produce book recommendations at the drop of a hat. That is why, for the last few years, I have gotten into the habit of creating recommended reading lists for my immediate family members for birthdays and other holidays. With Mother’s Day having recently passed, and my sister’s birthday coming up soon, I thought I’d share some of the books I recently recommended to both of them.

On the Other Side of Freedom The Case for Hope

Perspectives on Black America

...challenging the status quo

Happy Juneteenth! A holiday to commemorate the end of slavery! Indeed, all lives matter. Presently, there is a resounding call echoing across the globe, declaring: "Black Lives Matter" in response to systemic oppression and racism that continue to thrive. This list of books challenges the status quo. A cohesive message exists urging readers to become aware, empowered and to stand for equity and lasting change.

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