2014 Staff Favourites - Nonfiction - Part 3

A big year for reading at Halifax Public Libraries. As we do every year at The Reader, we polled our staff all across our entire library system to see their favourite books of 2014. What a response! Stay tuned over the next few days for lists of our picks from the best published in fiction, nonfiction and children's and young adult books.  I know they've piqued my interest and have lengthened my "to read" list!

Thug Kitchen: eat like you give a f*ck by Thug Kitchen
"Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they’re throwing down more than 100 recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real." publisher

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: and other lessons from the crematory by Caitlin Doughty
"A young mortician goes behind the scenes, unafraid of the gruesome (and fascinating) details of her curious profession. Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased." publisher

Hinterkind. 1, The Waking World by Ian Edginton
"In a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been pushed to the edge of extinction by the creatures of fantasy and fables, THE HINTERKIND tells the story of one young woman's quest to fulfill her destiny and put the world right again." publisher

Saga. Volume Three by Brian K. Vaughan
"Winner of the 2013 Hugo award for Best Graphic Story! When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe." publisher

Sex Criminals. Vol. 1, One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky
"Great fun!" - The Miami Herald Named one of Time Magazine's top 10 graphic novels for 2013! Suzie's just a regular gal with an irregular gift: when she has sex, she stops time. One day she meets Jon and it turns out he has the same ability. And sooner or later they get around to using their gifts to do what we'd ALL do: rob a couple banks. A bawdy and brazen sex comedy for comics begins here, by Matt Fraction (Satellite Sam, Hawkeye) and Chip Zdarsky (Prison Funnies, Monster Cops)." publisher

Locke and Key. Volume 6, Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill
"The shadows have never been darker and the end has never been closer. Turn the key and open the last door; it's time to say goodbye. The final arc of New York Times bestselling Locke & Key comes to a thundrous and compelling conclusion. An event not to be missed!" publisher