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HUDSON BAY BOUND

One of our recommended books is Hudson Bay Bound by Natalie Warren

Unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by Eric Sevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree, Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends—the first women to make this expedition—there was one timeless challenge: the occasional pitfalls that test character and friendship. Warren’s spellbinding account retraces the women’s journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from the practicalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to the successful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime.

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SEARCHING FOR FAMILY AND TRADITIONS AT THE FRENCH TABLE

One of our recommended books is Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table by Carole Bumpus

In this engaging new installment of Carole Bumpus’ heartwarming culinary memoir/travelogue series, Carole and her trusted guide and dear friend, Josiane Selvage, complete their gastronomic and cultural tour of France. The trip was inspired by Josiane’s deceased mother, Marcelle, and in a touching tribute, Carole and Josiane also search for Marcelle’s roots—a mystery created by the chaos of both world wars.

Beginning in Paris and heading north into Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, Brittany, Loire and completing the tour in the Auvergne, Carole searched for the traditional “cuisine pauvre” (peasant foods) common to the French table, but she also treasured visits to cultural sites that illuminated the French character and history: ancient cathedrals,

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JUST US

One of our recommended books is Just Us by Claudia Rankine

As everyday white supremacy becomes increasingly vocalized with no clear answers at hand, how best might we approach one another? Claudia Rankine, without telling us what to do, urges us to begin the discussions that might open pathways through this divisive and stuck moment in American history.

Just Us is an invitation to discover what it takes to stay in the room together, even and especially in breaching the silence, guilt, and violence that follow direct addresses of whiteness. Rankine’s questions disrupt the false comfort of our culture’s liminal and private spaces—the airport, the theater, the dinner party,

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SWIMMING LESSONS

One of our recommended books is Swimming Lessons by Lili Reinhart

The debut collection of poetry from Lili Reinhart, the actress and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and body positivity.

Swimming Lessons explores the euphoric beginnings of young love, battling anxiety and depression in the face of fame, and the inevitable heartbreak that stems from passion. Relatable yet deeply intimate, provocative yet comforting, bite-sized yet profound, Lili’s poems reflect her trademark honesty and unique perspective. Accompanied by striking and evocative illustrations, Swimming Lessons reveals the depths of female experience, and is the work of a storyteller who is coming into her own.

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THE RESCUER

One of our recommended books is The Rescuer by Jason Sautel

He helped save people every day—but he had no idea how to save himself.

Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well.

In the following months, a series of traumatic emergency calls—some successful,

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BLUE MIND

Blue Mind by Wallace Nichols

A landmark book by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols on the remarkable effects of water on our health and well-being.

Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? In Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols revolutionizes how we think about these questions, revealing the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water.

Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance,

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