Let JCPL Point You In the Right Direction!

Only a directional dyslexic could end up lost in the space of a lunch hour. Geographically challenged as I am, I decided to take the scenic route on my lunch hour one day when I worked in Rensselaer instead of my home library in DeMotte. Multiple turns, however, don't agree with me, and I somehow found myself lost. Everyone who knows me well and takes their chances traveling with me instinctively checks the gas tank to be sure that when we end up in Timbuktu, we'll at least have the means for escape. Seems I'm not alone. "You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, But Get Lost in the Mall," written by behavioral neuroscientist, Colin Ellard, opens by highlighting the animal instincts that light the way for our feathered and furry friends, going on to describe experiments that reveal how hopelessly disconnected the human race has become from our surroundings, resulting in advances such as GPS, Google maps and other modern conveniences and tools designed to keep us on course.

You won't need a tracking device to find this new nonfiction title on the shelves of JCPL, or any of the others listed here, for that matter. Read on!

Food and restaurant icon, Ruth Reichl, reminisces about her mother, exploring the mystery of the mother-daughter relationship as she recounts her mother's kitchen misadventures in "Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me." Reichl's mother, Miriam, but called Mim, had a highly eccentric and sometimes even reckless way of cooking. With at least one incident of mass food poisoning to her credit, Mim's kitchen adventures will go down in history in this ironically funny memoir.

A request to write the eulogy of an 82 year old rabbi from Mitch Albom's hometown takes Albom on a journey of faith, exploring issues and questions that are probably on the minds of many readers as they struggle through the tough times of today's fast paced society. "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom is the true story of the author's involvement in the lives of two men of God, each of whom serve their Maker and congregations in completely different settings, but who share an uncommon unity as their two worlds combine to bring hope, endurance and faith to people who are seeking to find peace in whatever setting or situation they find themselves in.

Here's to the sweet life: Let them eat cake! "Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla and a Pinch of Salt" by Leslie Miller delves into the moist underbelly of the cake world, tracing the history and evolution of our most beloved comfort food; cake. Through her travels and interviews with famous chefs, as well as visits to bakeries and wedding cake boutiques, the author samples some of the best cakes ever made, learning along the way to celebrate the pure pleasure and taste explosion of the ingredients that combine to create the most joyful dessert of all time.

Overcoming desperate situations with the intervention of miraculous twists of fate are defined as miracles by many who have had such experiences. "Christmas Miracles" by Cecil Murphey and Marley Gibson is a collection of stories that transcend the ordinary, chronicling special moments that can renew the joy of everyday living just because they were so unexpected and so extremely incredible, encouraging the reader with its simple message of hope.

If you need help with navigating while traveling, consulting a loggerhead turtle, who understands the importance of magnetic fields, or a goose that can cut a path and migrate without losing its way, may be a good idea. I would love to be of assistance, and I would, if only you could point me in the right direction!