Jill Martinson

Homesteading has become increasingly popular these past several years. People interested in being more self-sufficient and leading a simpler life have taken up growing their own food, tending livestock, and making homecrafts to use and sell.

It’s not just for those with 150 acres of land, five tractors, and 80 head of cattle, either. The agrarian lifestyle is attractive to those in urban settings with smaller outdoor areas, as well. It can be for you, too. Start off small and see where it takes you. Plant some fruit trees, raise chickens, consider solar options, pickle your own vegetables. Whether your goal is to live off the grid completely, or grow a bed of vegetables for a salsa garden (absolutely), the enhanced connection you’ll feel to the land will offer quite the reward.

“The Tiny But Mighty Farm: Cultivating High Yields, Community, and Self-Sufficiency from a Home Farm” by Jill Ragan is full of guidance and inspiration for those ready to start producing their own food. From deciding what type of grower you want to be–a hobbyist, a homesteader, or a full-time farmer, to mapping out your garden and cost analysis, Ragan offers practical tips to get started. She shares different growing techniques and possible business opportunities, imparting the important message that cultivating also means connection and community. Check out her YouTube channel at Whispering Willow Farm.

In “The Seven-Step Homestead: A Guide for Creating the Backyard Microfarm of Your Dreams,” Leah M. Webb starts off small, showing you how to prep, plant, and tend a couple of 4 x 8 foot garden beds. As you advance through the book, the growing space for the homestead gradually gets larger and the diversity of plantings include trees, shrubs, and storage crops, like potatoes and beans. Also included is a chapter on raising chickens, their care, food, and types of enclosures.

“The Sustainable Homestead: Create a Thriving Permaculture Ecosystem with Your Garden, Animals, and Land” by Angela Ferraro-Fanning has all the important information you’ll need to run a full-fledged homestead. Not only does she include information on soil health, planting, and sample layouts for different sized homesteads, but expands to incorporate information on animals and orchards. All of her animals, in addition to being super cute, are contributors to the farm, as well. The horses provide manure for compost and pull carts. The ducks provide eggs and control the insect population. Her chapter on designing a pasture covers the many considerations that you’ll need to address, like grazing and pasture rotation, when keeping livestock.

Both my great-grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Maxson Sr., (1841-1899) and grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Maxson Jr., (1879-1928) were pioneers in the walnut farming industry in the El Monte and West Covina areas. Along with other local growers, my grandfather founded the La Puente Valley Walnut Growers’ Association in 1912 and was its original member until his death. I inherited a bit of that growing passion too and enjoy tending a small grove of olive trees in my backyard.

With the dog days of summer upon us, it’s the perfect time to check out a few dog-themed fiction and nonfiction titles. Of course, we have classics like “James Herriot’s Favorite Dog Stories,” “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck, and the popular “Marley and Me” by John Grogan. We’re always adding new books to our collection, too. Here are some of our latest; I’m “paws-itive” you’ll find something you like.

Best-selling author of “A Dog’s Purpose,” W. Bruce Cameron’s most recent novel is “Love Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog.” Cameron has a way of capturing the character and spirit of dogs in his novels and this one is no different. Clancy, a yellow Lab, and the narrator of our story, offers insight into the life of his person, JayB, who recently lost his job and is figuring out his next move. Our canine companion keeps us informed with entries from his very own diary. You’ll come across a host of quirky characters, both human and furry, like JayB’s romantic interests, Odin, the older neighbor’s dog, and that pesky cat, Kelsey. Needless to say, the dogs are the stars in this humorous and touching read.

“The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves” by Alexandra Horowitz is a wonderful observation on the early development of a puppy throughout a year. Horowitz documents the day-to-day development of her own puppy, Quid, starting as a newborn and follows her as she becomes part of the Horowitz household, replete with three humans, two dogs and as Horowitz puts it a “wary cat.” How do puppies see and smell; what shapes their personalities? How do they socialize with people and other animals? This scientifically researched book is quite engaging and you’ll come away knowing a great deal about animal growth and behavior.

Murder mystery fans will enjoy the latest addition in David Rosenfelt’s K Team series, “Good Dog, Bad Cop.” Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner Simon Garfunkel join forces again to try and solve a cold case for Paterson Police Department. This time it involves someone quite well known to Douglas, his former mentor, Jimmy Dietrich. Dietrich, along with Susan Avery, were found dead, shot in his boat floating in the ocean outside of Long Island Sound. Was this really a murder-suicide? Perhaps it’s connected to the earlier execution-style killing of Danny Avery, Susan’s husband, who was also a former Paterson detective. Can you solve the mystery?

Be sure to stop by the display case near the circulation desk this July through August 15th on your next visit to the Library. You’ll see pictures of famous authors with their dogs and get to peruse new and classic books available for check out. Don’t forget to grab a FREE dog bookmark while supplies last. I’m sure you’ll find them quite fetching.

Music lovers, take a collective breath. I’m going to inundate you with our latest music books and biographies. Smiley Library gets new titles in all the time. I’ve previously featured our jazz, rap, classical, and country genres. This time we’ll look at rock, pop, and folk. Let’s get going.

One of my favorites is “Broken Horses: a Memoir” by Brandi Carlisle. Not only has this singer-songwriter won nine Grammy awards, but her story is such an interesting and honest read. I listened to it on audio after downloading it from the Libby app. Raised in rural Ravensdale, Washington, she started singing at a very young age and decided to make music her career. From club gigs to collaborations, follow her musical journey as she finds inspiration along the way in her bandmates, “The Twins,” and the music of Joni Mitchell and Elton John. Friends, family, faith, and her personal story shine throughout. Narrating the audio version, you’ll sometimes hear her tune her guitar and break into song at the end of a chapter. Your very own private concert.

Numerous books have featured and analyzed Bob Dylan’s lyrics. In fact, we have some titles in our collection which focus on just that. “The Philosophy of Modern Song” by Bob Dylan takes a different approach. Dylan himself examines over sixty popular songs of his choosing from other artists, like Elvis Costello, Dean Martin, and The Clash. Each song receives Dylan’s very unique and often times humorous interpretation, including a little background history. There are some iconic retro photographs and graphics along the way too.

This is a weird segue, I know. Has anyone watched the Netflix series Peaky Blinders or the movie Scream? Well, then you’ve heard the next artist and may not have even realized it. The song, “Red Right Hand,” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was used in both. A highly admired artist and songwriter, Cave’s music has been described in all sorts of ways: intense, insightful, emotional, intellectual, religious. “Faith, Hope and Carnage” is a conversation between Cave and journalist Sean O’Hagan. Not just a conversation, it’s an insight into Cave’s creative process, his outlook on life, loss, the death of his son, Arthur, grief, God, and hope. Eloquent and candid.

I’m just going to list a few more titles here. You’ll definitely find familiar names among them.

“Be My Baby” by Ronnie Spector, “Loud: A Life in Rock ‘n’ Roll by the World’s First Female Roadie” by Tana Douglas, “Mirror in the Sky: The Life and Music of Stevie Nicks” by Simon Morrison, “Some New Kind of Kick” by Kid Congo Powers, “Song Noir: Tom Waits and the Spirit of Los Angeles” by Alex Harvey, and “Still Alright” by Kenny Loggins.

While Smiley Library has outstanding graphic novels in the children’s, young adult, and literacy collections, our adult circulating collection has amazing additions, as well. Encompassing both fiction and nonfiction titles, graphic novels have a lot to offer for all ages. You can learn history expressed through engaging storylines, revisit old classics told in a unique way, escape through fantasy, or laugh at comedy. These books are an appealing way to explore important topics too, and their focus on character development along with striking drawings make them a joy to read. Here are some of our latest.

“Hakim’s Odyssey” by Fabien Toulme is based on the true story of Hakim, a young Syrian gardener and nursery owner, whose future was looking bright until civil war encroached upon him, his family, and country. In 2011, as growing protests for more freedom arise in the streets, President Assad reacts with extreme violence and lethal force. Hakim is falsely imprisoned as one of the rioters and thrown in jail. Beatings ensue and when finally released, Hakim finds out his nursery has been seized by the army and turned into a barracks. Amidst the loss of his income, the growing chaos of war, and his brother’s mysterious disappearance, Hakim is forced to flee his home and family. This engaging story of war, struggle, survival, and hope is told in a series of three books: Book 1: From Syria to Turkey, Book 2: From Turkey to Greece, and Book 3: From Macedonia to France.

“The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere.” is James Spooner’s coming-of-age memoir of his time living in Apple Valley in the late 80s and early 90s. As a Black teen struggling to fit in to a predominately white community, Spooner feels like an outsider. He looks for a place where he can be himself, forge some friendships, and maybe even find a girlfriend. Unfortunately, what he finds is bullying, racism, and unacceptance. Eventually, he meets others who are into punk music and skating and discovers a new form of self-expression, identity, and a feeling of belonging. Spooner takes a personal look at the Afro-Punk subculture, being raised by a single white mom, prejudice, drugs, and school dynamics. He tells his story with authenticity, reflection, and insight.

If you find yourself laughing at the movies Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Roxanne, and The Jerk, you’ll appreciate Steve Martin’s new book, “Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions.” Martin has made over 40 films and the first half of his book highlights anecdotes and escapades from some of the most popular, along with comic illustrations by Harry Bliss. Meet familiar names like John Candy and Diane Keaton. Bliss’s dog, Penny, has a lot of features along the way, too. The second half of the book is filled with single panel comics from Bliss. A short, fun book for fans of Martin and Bliss.

Here are a few other new titles to consider. “Lore Olympus” by Rachel Smythe is a contemporary and satirical take on the story of Persephone and Hades, “Invisible Wounds” by Jess Ruliffson examines the effects of war on veterans, and “Always Never” by Jordi Lafebre is a love story that starts at the end and works towards the beginning.

Attention all crafty people! Do you enjoy calligraphy, jewelry making, or photography? Are you writing your first novel, but need some instruction? A.K. Smiley Public Library’s online resource Craftsy provides over 3,000 hours of free video lessons taught by skilled makers for diverse crafts such as painting, cooking, cake decorating, and woodworking. Available through the Libby app, it’s the perfect way to take an online course and find out which crafts will inspire your creativity. It’s available to all Smiley cardholders and best of all, it’s FREE.

To access this resource:

1. Download the free Libby, by OverDrive app, available in your app store, onto your mobile device. You can alternately use Libby’s desktop site for computers if you’d like to take the course on a bigger screen. Screen users, start here: https://libbyapp.com/library/scdl.
2. Choose A.K. Smiley Public Library and sign in with the barcode on the back of your library card and your PIN number – the last four digits of your phone number.
3. Once you are signed into your Libby account, head to the home screen by clicking the Library Building icon on the bottom navigation bar. Scroll down to the Extras tab, click on Craftsy, then Get. One more click on Get a 7-Day Pass and you’re set. When this pass expires, just get another one.

This will route you to the Craftsy website where you’ll be logged in, ready to browse the collection and take a free course. No need to sign up for an extra account through Craftsy. My husband took the Make Quality Doors course and learned quite a bit. Of course, now I’m expecting him to upgrade our cupboards, so choose wisely.

Smiley Library also has a great selection of crafting books available in the library to check out. Some of our newest titles are: “Classic Calligraphy for Beginners : Essential Step-by-Step Techniques for Copperplate and Spencerian Scripts” by Younghae Chung, “Handmade Clay Jewelry” by Meghan Allen, “Watercolour Landscapes for the Absolute Beginner” by Matthew Palmer, “Crochet in a Weekend” by Salena Baca, “Macrame Made Easy” by Harumi Kageyama, and “Handmade Woodworking Projects for the Kitchen” by Larry Okrend.

Happy Holidays to you all and have a Craftsy New Year!