The Second Floor Librarians

By Bill Belichick

“Do you cringe when a linebacker flattens a quarterback? Hold your breath when a field goal sails toward the goalpost? Watch in amazement as a touchdown pass spirals down the field? Behind those big hits, long kicks, and sensational throws is a science that will give you a whole new perspective on the game of football. A combination of Stephen Hawking and Mike Ditka, physicist and football fan Timothy Gay breaks down the fundamental laws of physics that govern America’s most exciting spectator sport.”

By Linda Ziedrich

“Since its original publication in 1998, this book has been considered the go-to guide for those who like it sour, salty, and tangy. Author Ziedrich goes far beyond the classic bread-and-butters and dills with recipes that showcase the worldwide popularity of pickling. There are chapters on fermented pickles, from Half-Sours to Turkish Mixed Pickles; on fresh pickles such as Pickled Beets; on cabbage pickles from around the world like Kimchi and Curtido; and miso and soy sauce pickles. Twenty-five of the recipes are brand new, and the indispensable pickling primer has been fully updated with the latest in equipment, ingredients, and techniques.”

By James Luther Davis

“Uncover the wild secrets of the Pacific Northwest in this month-by-month guide to natural events in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. More than just a listing of natural places, this unique guide provides all the necessary information about where and when to view natural events in the Pacific Northwest.”

By Adrienne Martini

“A writer, professor, and mother with a penchant for “obsessively knitting,” Martini has spent plenty of time putting needles to yarn. In fact, she explains, knitting was central to her emergence from the postpartum depression she chronicled in 2006′s Hillbilly Gothic: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. Several years and a second child later, she’s looking for a new level of knitting challenge, not to mention fodder for this second memoir. Her trademark humor and honesty make for an engaging read (for example, she writes, “Both kids and craft have taught me how to deal with frustration so acute that I’d want to bite the head off a kitten”). Despite that, her grand knitting/writing project for 2008 was an Alice Starmore Fair Isle sweater, for its complexity of pattern, colors, and knitting technique. Martini casts on and explores the history of knitting, details visits and calls to fellow knitters near and far, and describes Starmore’s determination to protect her brand and copyright. It’s a lively, interesting blend of personal quest, knitting history and Starmore biography certain to appeal to knitters-and to readers who enjoy taking on (or reading about) a worthy personal challenge.