The Library will be closed Tuesday, December 24 through Thursday, December 26. And then we will close early at 3pm on Tuesday, December 31 and be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Go Here to find all our Holiday Closures

May 2023 MassBook List

May’s Book Challenge theme is, a book of non-fiction on a subject new to you. If you’ve never read a book on the subjects of Food, True Crime, or Sports we have Non-Fiction book lists that you can find something to read. Keep an eye out for at least one more list during the month of May as well.

Alternatively, if you have a topic that you want to find more books in the catalog about, you can always search by Subject. The catalog defaults to Keyword, but, if you click/tap on where it says Keyword you can instead choose Subject and find all the books we have on that topic.

Below, are a variety of the more out there non-fiction topics that we have books about too. Of course, as always, if you have a new topic that you want to read about, you can always stop by the Ref desk for help finding books about it.

Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids by Daniel Loxton & Donald R. Prothero

An entertaining, educational, and definitive text on a variety of cryptids, presenting both the arguments for and against their existence and systematically challenging the pseudoscience perpetuating their myths.

The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston

Reveals how books and the materials that make them reflect the history of human civilization, tracing the development of writing, printing, illustrating, and binding to demonstrate the transition from cuneiform tablets and papyrus scrolls to the mass-distributed books of today.

5 hábitos de las mujeres qué no se rinden by Nicki Koziarz

¿Alguna vez ha llegado al punto en el que ya no puede continuar? Sueños. Planes. Relaciones. Hay tantos aspectos en la vida en los que a veces queremos “tirar la toalla.” Es hora de que tengamos una conversación sincera acerca de cómo evitar caer en la tentación de renunciar a lo que estamos haciendo.

Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler

Bruce Feiler searches for the man at the heart of the world’s three monotheistic religions—and today’s deadliest conflicts.

Happiness in This Life: A Passionate Meditation on Earthly Existence by Pope Francis

A collection of homilies, speeches, and ‘messages of the day’ that brings together Pope Francis’s wisdom on finding happiness in the here and now.

It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living edited by Dan Savage & Terry Miller

A collection of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities, political leaders, and everyday people.

The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, As Written By Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean

This book explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists.

How to Clone a Mammoth: The Science of De-Extinction by Beth Shapiro

This book walks readers through the astonishing and controversial process of de-extinction. From deciding which species should be restored, to sequencing their genomes, to anticipating how revived populations might be overseen in the wild, Shapiro vividly explores the extraordinary cutting-edge science that is being used–today–to resurrect the past.

Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us About Ourselves by Frans de Waal

A whirlwind tour of new ideas and findings about animal emotions, based on De Waal’s renowned studies of the social and emotional lives of chimpanzees, bonobos, and other primates.

Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects by Amy Stewart

In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over one hundred of our worst entomological foes—creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. From the world’s most painful hornet, to the flies that transmit deadly diseases, to millipedes that stop traffic, to the Japanese beetles munching on your roses, Wicked Bugs delves into the extraordinary powers of many-legged creatures.

Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky

This book traces milk’s history from antiquity to the present, detailing its curious and crucial role in cultural evolution, religion, nutrition, politics, and economics.