• Click here for more information about Wikipedia’s blackout from NPR.
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• Click here for the bill summary and status from the Library of Congress.

“Curly Girl: the handbook” by Lorraine Massey (646.724 MA)

Curly-headed people unite! Unlike the little redhead in Peanuts, not everyone with curly hair is always proud of their locks. I cannot tell you the lengths that I have taken to get my hair to lay straight. Lorraine Massey, who specializes in curly hair, essential says, “No more.” This book has some very eye opening techniques for curly-headed people to finally embrace their natural curls once and for all. A like-haired patron recommended the book to me and I like it so much, I just might purchase it for my own collection. Perhaps we can all be as proud as that little redheaded girl after all!

“How to Sew a Button: and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew” by Erin Bried (640 BR)

This time of year always makes me feel nostalgic and think of my grandmothers. Perhaps like me, as you make your holiday preparations, you think of how amazing your grandmothers were. How did they make things taste better, get household tasks done with less conveniences and do it all with flare? “How to Sew a Button” gives you an inside look at grandmother’s advice straight from a host of grandmothers from all over the country. I knew I had to read it when I caught myself thinking that I couldn’t make iced tea any more because my specialty machine had broken and thus realized I had lost a sense of self sufficiency. Read it to remind you of your grandma, or read it for the pleasure of having a grandma give you great advice on everything from cooking, thriving and love. The author’s introduction will have you laughing and you may just walk away with something to make your life easier.

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_____Yes, I think “Stinky” is a cute name for a withered arm!

_____No, I’d prefer to name my withered arm something with a little more dignity, such as Reynaldo.

That’s just gold, people. (Points to anyone who gets the Seinfeld reference.)

But here’s the premise. Janzen was raised a Mennonite and left the fold to pursue more worldly pursuits. And to wear heels and makeup. Her tumultuous marriage finally ended when her husband left her for a man he met on Gay.com, and that same week she got into a horrible car accident that left her with serious injuries.

With nowhere else to turn, she went home. Her parents had stayed true to their strong Mennonite faith, and re-immersing herself in the culture made Janzen realize how much of the the faith she still cherished herself.

Janzen is very respectful of Mennonite beliefs; she does, however, poke some fun at those who follow the faith, or any faith, blindly. Her brother,who has no patience for a discussion of whether or not a woman would take her husband’s name upon marriage, is skewered, albeit lovingly. On the other hand, those who are quick to eschew the idea that Mennonite beliefs have value are also taken to task, and not as lovingly.

But, ultimately, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is a story of Janzen’s own redemption, of her ability to embrace those aspects of spirituality which allow her to begin to heal. The fact that she covers such a serious topic, while still making me giggle, is what made this light-heart nonfiction stand out.