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Books to Reset in the New Year With Kelly in WI
44 Plays3 days ago
Recently read
- Maria: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Kelly: Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garden
Recommendations:
- New book: Sandwich by Catherine Newman
- Backlist book: Winter Solstice by Rasaumde Pilcher
- Local Author: Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy
Book End: Books to Reset in the New Year
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
- The PLAN by Kendra Adachi
- The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
https://waukeshareads.org/
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Guest Librarian
00:00:20
Speaker
Hello and welcome to The Checkout Stack, where we talk books with a new librarian every episode. I am your host and the world's biggest library superfan, Maria Skogin, and I am so excited to introduce our guest today, Kelly Davis from Waukesha Public Library in Wisconsin. Kelly, thank you for being here today. Can you introduce yourself to our guests and tell us a little about you and your library?
00:00:43
Speaker
Sure. Thanks for having me. This is very exciting.
Library's Impact & Guest's Role
00:00:47
Speaker
So I started here as a librarian and now work in our administrative services team. Waukesha itself is a city of about 75,000 people. And last year we had nearly 300,000 visitors and nearly 50,000 folks participated in a library program. So we are pretty proud of the fact that we are an exciting hub for our community. Personally,
00:01:10
Speaker
My reading tastes tend to romance, fantasy, literary fiction and nonfiction, of course, depending on the topic there for nonfiction. And I tend not to be like to be scared or feel anxious. So I tend to stay away from horror.
00:01:25
Speaker
or thrillers. So those are the kind of books we'll talk about today.
Visitor Numbers & Clarification
00:01:30
Speaker
Nice. So 75,000 people and you had 50,000 people interact with the library. So that's every two out of every three people has been inside your library. Well, I mean, some of those people are repeats, right? Like you really like our story times and you come back, but, um, yeah, it's pretty, it's a pretty hot in place.
00:01:49
Speaker
Yeah, that's awesome. Those are great numbers. And then Kelly, you are like the special programs manager for your library, right? Yeah, our special projects coordinator. So that means I work a lot with our board and our friends and um sort of on the administrative team with HR and things so.
00:02:08
Speaker
Awesome. I love that. So let's hop into recent reads. I will kick us off first.
Book Review: 'The War I Finally Won'
00:02:16
Speaker
So I just finished The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Have you read this one? I have not. Tell me about it. Tell us about it.
00:02:27
Speaker
Yes so it is the sequel which I haven't brought a lot of sequels to the show the first book was called the war that saved my life and I don't want to give spoilers to that book so I'm just gonna kind of set it up as a series.
00:02:41
Speaker
So this series is about a girl named Ada and her younger brother Jamie. Ada was born in London right before World War II started with a club foot. And she was kind of born into a poor region of London. She has a mother who works a lot and doesn't really have the capacity both physically or emotionally to care for Ada. So she doesn't get the hospital care she needs for her club foot.
00:03:11
Speaker
And she's mistreated by her mother. and So then when World War II breaks out, the children in London are beginning to be sent to the countryside to kind of get out of the way of the bombings. And Ada ends up going to the countryside with her brother. And once she's kind of out of the house and out of where she had been grown up and taught how to think of herself, she now has to deal with living with a disability and maybe realizing that she's not as big of a monster or that she can have a future now that she's away from her mother. and
00:03:48
Speaker
so The book is a lot of her dealing, the first book is a lot of her like physically escaping and dealing with the physical parts of being disabled. The follow-up book, which I put off reading because I didn't think it could live up to the first book and I was wrong. It is really, really good. The follow-up book is more about her mentally working through the trauma of having had gone through that experience and healing from that. And they were both very impactful. It's all based in like a World War II setting. So if you like that kind of book, this definitely falls in that category. But even if you're not a big World War II reader, this is YA. So it's not like you have to learn a lot about the different battles. like it's It's just a really delightful read.
00:04:37
Speaker
So I highly recommend if you haven't read the first one, definitely start that. And if you have read the first one and you weren't sure, the second one is worth it. So those were the war that saved my life and the war I finally won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
Book Review: 'Be Ready When the Luck Happens'
00:04:53
Speaker
My recently read is very different from I recently finished Be Ready When the Luck Happens and Mimar by Ina Garden. Ina Garden from Food Network fame.
00:05:03
Speaker
For a while, I really enjoyed her on Food Network and sort of had the time to watch her there, but I have always really enjoyed her cookbooks, but I really didn't know much about her. So I listened to this book and she is a really great narrator. Her voice is really, really calming. And I, before reading this book, I didn't have a full appreciation for her work ethic and ability to accept risks and try new things, which she's done throughout her whole life.
00:05:31
Speaker
Even after listening to this book, I got a physical copy from the library. There's quite a holds list. um But I could see the pictures that she included that way, and that also added to the enjoyment of the book. So again, that's Be Ready When the Luck Happens, a memoir by Ina Garten. Great. And is that mostly about her career, or does it go kind of go back into her childhood before she became a chef? Yep, her childhood, too.
00:05:57
Speaker
and Cool. And is it lots of food pictures? Are you going to get hungry reading? It's a lot of food descriptions. It's not so much food pictures. It's more family pictures. So like her growing up and her with Jeffrey and things. Fun. OK, well, that was Be Ready When the Luck Happens, a memoir by Ina Garden.
00:06:19
Speaker
So next up, we are entering the recommendations portion of the show. So first off, we are going to talk about a new book. This is something that is hot on the shelves just released within the last year. Kelly, what is your pick for the new book?
Book Review: 'Sandwich'
00:06:36
Speaker
Oh, I'm so excited to talk to your audience about this and to you. So I'm bringing to the show Sandwich by Catherine Newman. This is a work of literary fiction. It is bite sized. So it's just 240 pages.
00:06:49
Speaker
in just about six hours on audio, but the book will stay with me. The main character is Rachel, and the book is told from her perspective over the course of a week-long family vacation in Cape Cod. Rachel is smack dab in the middle of a caregiving sandwich, hence that's hence the title, with aging parents and two children who have left the nest but still need her. Anne Patchett, the author of Tom Lake,
00:07:17
Speaker
blurb this book and said, quote, sandwich is a joy in book form. I laughed continuously except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us all of the wonder there is to be found in life. I'll say that there are trigger warnings for language and infertility issues. But again, I can't recommend this book highly enough and it is worth the holds weight.
00:07:41
Speaker
Oh, good. Yes, whenever Anne Patchett does a recommendation, I really trust it because I've heard her in interviews be like, no, I don't give them unless it's like it really, really deserves it. I have heard that too. And I would also add that her bookstore is worth going to. So if anybody's ever in Nashville, they should check it out. But that sandwich by Catherine Newman. That sounds really good.
00:08:05
Speaker
Next up, we're going to go into the backlist. So while you're waiting for sandwich to come in on your holds list, this might be a book that you could actually pick up off the shelves. Kelly, what is the backlist pick today?
Book Review: 'Winter Solstice'
00:08:18
Speaker
So my backlist pick is Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher. This book was published in 2000, and I would consider it cozy literary fiction. It is a bit of a commitment coming in at about 700 pages.
00:08:33
Speaker
I am nearly a Rosamund Pilcher completist and gravitate to her when the world seems heavy or unfriendly. This book follows Elfride Phipps, who was once an actress on the stage in London and her journey to Dibton, a small village. I enjoyed reading this um and learning about the people she meets, family dynamics, and the sort of reads, um like a more sophisticated Hallmark movie. So if that's the vibe you want, this is the book for you. People Magazine described this book as tender,
00:09:04
Speaker
evocative and an occasion to celebrate. One of my friends in my book club rereads this book every holiday season. So that's Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher and I hope it's on the shelf for you. and So is this, it has like, is the storyline taking place during Christmas New Year's and that's why they reread it in the holiday season? Exactly, exactly. Fun. Yeah, so fun.
00:09:30
Speaker
All right. Next, we're going to talk about a local author.
Book Review: 'Shoulder Season'
00:09:35
Speaker
So Kelly, you are in Wisconsin. Is the author local to your city or just the state of Wisconsin? So she's she's local enough. So we are about a 45 minute drive to Lake Geneva from Waukesha. And so the book I'm re I'm sharing is Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy. And oddly enough,
00:09:57
Speaker
little-known fact potentially, a Lake Geneva is home to a former Playboy resort. So this book follows 19-year-old Sherri Taylor in her journey from small town Wisconsin to life as a Playboy bunny. The author interviewed several Playboy bunnies for the book and it's really a fascinating read. The author Christina Clancy came to a book discussion at our library and she's just really delightful.
00:10:25
Speaker
And we even had a former Playboy bunny attend the discussion. And this book was published in 2021, so a little backlist. And again, that shoulder season by Christina Clancy. And that definitely has like summer vibes. So if you're sort of over winter, that would be a good one. I couldn't quite tell. Is this nonfiction or is this fiction? It is fiction, but it's based in a lot of nonfiction.
00:10:50
Speaker
Got it. So the mansion, the Playboy Mansion, did exist in Wisconsin. There really were people that worked there. But this is like a fictional character that goes to the mansion. 100%. You got it. Yeah. Fun. And where would you rate this on like the PG scale? Is it like, don't read this if you're if you're going to be uncomfortable? Or is it like pretty closed door? Oh, I thought it was pretty closed door, I guess. I went i mean, it's you know, shelved in adult, I don't know, you know, but it's not. Yeah, it's good. It's like literary fiction, like feelings, you know? Okay, more about the feels. Yeah. Fun. All right, that was shoulder season by Christina Clancy.
00:11:35
Speaker
Next up, we are going to go into our bookend portion of
Books for a New Year Reset
00:11:39
Speaker
the show. So in this portion, our librarian, Kelly, it' picked a topic and she's going to share three books on that topic. So Kelly, what is the topic that you're bringing to the show today?
00:11:52
Speaker
So begin seeing that we're about to start 2025, I thought it might be nice to talk about three books to help reset in the new year, or at least to read before you make those New Year's resolutions. so Oh, fun. That'll be perfect for January. I think this episode will come out two days before Christmas. So that's just enough time to get to the library, pull out some of these books to help you reset.
00:12:19
Speaker
All right. ah First, what's the first pick for resetting in the new year? So the first pick is 4000 Weeks, Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Berkman. This book is a treasure. If you ever find yourself wondering what our cultural emphasis on productivity is for and how to talk to yourself, if your expectations for a perfect day aren't met, this is a great book to read that emphasizes that we are all mortal.
00:12:47
Speaker
and have limited time and energy. Before setting New Year's resolutions, I would highly recommend this. and That is 4,000 Weeks Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Berkman. And he also has a really good email that occasionally comes out. So if you like his work, you can get more of it. And then he just recently published another book. The name escapes me right now, but he's sort of everywhere.
00:13:10
Speaker
if you look for them. So is this book, I've always wondered, is it more about deconstructing our idea of time management or is it really specific like this is how you should do time management? It is absolutely not. This is how you should do time management. It's very much like deconstructing like Why do we, is it all, is it even all possible? It's an even all, you know. Should we really care that we manage our time? The expectations here, right. And what really brings you joy kind of and emphasizing that. Oh, that's great. These, i this topic is right up my alley. So I'm excited to check some of these out. Good, good. What is the second pick for resetting in the new year? Sure. So the second one I'm bringing is the plan by Kendra Adachi.
00:14:00
Speaker
This is a great book to read at the start of, I think, any new season of life. So it's certainly worth picking up as we sort of change the calendar to 2025. And if you are someone who finds themselves constantly thinking that you are one decision away from getting ourselves or our families sorted out, or just one new planner or productivity scheme away from, quote, living the dream. This book may help you feel less pressure.
00:14:27
Speaker
and take the temperature down a notch, sort of on all of that, the pressure of it all, getting it all done, and being doing it all. The author is the mastermind behind the Lazy Genius podcast, and this is another great read if you're planning on setting New Year's resolutions. So that's The Plan by Kendra Adachi.
00:14:45
Speaker
Yeah. So I will add, I have been a listener to Kendra Adachi's podcast, The Lazy Genius for a long time. Kendra is like a self-described recovering perfectionist and she is all about like making sure that you're understanding what's important to you and making decisions backwards from that instead of trying to build the perfect life.
00:15:09
Speaker
through these like tiny minute tasks. And it's, she just has a wonderful take and perspective on family life and organization that I find so refreshing. I haven't read this one. Do you know, is this a newer release or is this a backlist from her? It's a newer, it's her newest book. Yeah. And one of the things I like to, speaking of her work is this decide once principle. Like you just decide once and you don't have to do it again. Like you're going to always bring brownies to the potluck, like you just decide that's what we're doing. And it sort of takes away some of that other energy so you can do it on other things. So yeah, like you, I've really enjoyed her podcast.
00:15:46
Speaker
And the other principle I really like from her is that she talks a lot about how there are seasons in your life and you sometimes like there's one thing in the season that you're in that can be frustrating, but you have to just accept it because that might not be true for forever, but it's true for right now. And I think looking at my life in seasons has been like a very revolutionary way to think about things. Cause you know, you always want there to be more better, but you have to just accept what's happening in the season that you're in and try to make the best for what you have. Okay. Sorry. I feel like I kind of went on a tangent, but I really love Chandra Adachi. All right. So that was the plan. And what is the third a pick for books to reset in the new year?
Community Engagement & Social Media
00:16:34
Speaker
Sure. So my last recommendation, it's actually hot off the press. It's a newer one too. It's the service berry.
00:16:41
Speaker
Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. And you may recognize the author's name as she wrote Braiding Sweetgrass. I don't know if you've read that, but this is- Oh, yes. My sister-in-law loves that book. Oh, good. Well, this is a much shorter, um just 128-page essay where Robin does a lovely job of exposing the reader to the concept of a gift economy. And this book inspires us to be better and And the essay really does show us the path. The book focuses on the gift of gifts and the gift of giving. And so there's really a lot to ponder there, especially this time of year. The Service Bury, Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer is my last recommendation for resetting in the new year.
00:17:33
Speaker
fun. So what is the gift economy? Can you like summarize that? Or do you have to read the whole thing to know? I think I think it's she is much more eloquent than this librarian. It's sort of, you know, like little free libraries are that right? Like you give you put a book in and you get one out and then it's sort of just like that book is given to somebody else and it's sort of, you know, hoping it meets people where they're at. And yeah, I would highly recommend it. And it's a really short book.
00:18:02
Speaker
with really nice illustrations in it too. Fine. That was the service berry abundance and reciprocity in the natural world by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Well, that wraps up all of our recommendations. So Kelly, I always like to leave room. Is there anything you want to plug for your library in Waukesha, Wisconsin? Sure. So I have two things. Thanks for letting me plug them, Maria.
00:18:28
Speaker
The first is I would invite your listeners to follow Waukesha Public Library on Facebook and Instagram. um We've got a great social media team and they do really creative and fun videos and sort of a lot of engagement there. So follow us on social media, Waukesha Public Library. And then secondly, our library is I'm really proud of our Waukesha Reads program. So if you or another library is interested in doing a community read where the whole town, city, or community is encouraged to read the same book, I would encourage them to go to waukeshareads.org and see what we've been doing to encourage our community to read together for more than 15 years. So it's gone on for quite some time. um We do have deep, impactful programming
00:19:16
Speaker
Um, and a great selection of books that you can see on the website too. Yeah. I hope your readers will check it out because they're just really some good books there. from what ire dot org Yeah, that's cool. I've never done a program like that where you are trying to get like a big group of people to read the same book. I bet there's a, I bet it's a lot harder. There's a lot more pressure to pick the right book when you're trying to pick it for like an entire city.
00:19:43
Speaker
Well, there's like a whole committee and a lot of smart people who think about it. And then, um yeah, and you'll see like the the books really do vary. And we, you know, last year we did a local author and this year the book was a little more gothic. And so we try to do a variety, but the programming that you can do around books is just amazing, right? Like food programs and um book discussions and author visits. It's really, it's really cool. So.
00:20:11
Speaker
Yeah, that's super cool. Alrighty, this has been a wonderful episode.
Episode Wrap-Up & Invitation
00:20:16
Speaker
Listeners, if you enjoyed listening, please give us a five star review and more importantly, send us to a friend to help us grow our numbers. ah Right now we are in the growth segment of the podcast, which just means that we're trying to find an audience and make it worth continuing to produce the episodes. It has been such a fun project for me and I just want other people to hear it.
00:20:39
Speaker
and get book recommendations from all these wonderful librarians. If you are a librarian and you are interested in being on the show, Kelly can tell you it's very fun. Indeed. Very fun. So if you're interested, please reach out to me at the checkout stack at gmail dot.com. Alrighty, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. Now go forth and use your public library.