BOOK #1  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food and Love, by Kristin Kimball
Speaker: Matt Volz; Owner of Greyrock Farm CSA, Cazenovia

When Kimball, a NYC writer, interviewed a dynamic young gentleman farmer, her world changed.  Their first year together on Essex Farm, an organic community farm and co-op that strives to build an agro-ecosystem that is sustainable economically, environmentally, and socially, is chronicled in this book.  http://www.kristinkimball.com/
 

BOOK #2  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

You Are an Ironman: How Six Weekend Warriors Chased Their Dream of Finishing the World’s Toughest
Triathlon, by Jacques Steinberg
Speaker: Dr. John F. Parker, Orthopedic Surgeon, Ironman Triathlete

Both a riveting sports narrative and fascinating, behind-the-scenes study, this book vividly captures grueling feats of human endurance, while exploring the emotional toll and the psychological payoff of six participants in the 2009 Ford Ironman Arizona.  http://www.jacquessteinberg.com/about-you-are-an-ironman/
 

BOOK #3  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Baseball’s Starry Night: Reliving Major League Baseball’s 2011 Wild Card Night of Shock and Awe, by Paul Kocak
Speaker: Paul Kocak; Local Author, Journalist, Humorist, Poet

Providing a fan’s-eye view of a night that many have called the most exciting in the history of Major League Baseball, this book hears from 20 fans in their own words.  Exciting and personal eyewitness accounts, either from the stadiums or their living room, give a “you-are-there” feeling. http://baseballstarrynight.com/
 

BOOK #4

O Lucky One, by Stephen Lewandowski
Speaker:  Stephen Lewandowski; Poet, Environmentalist

This collection has a simplicity and clarity that express the poet’s dedication to nature and the environment.  The poems embrace nature’s mysteries and spiritual qualities in a way that is similar to the Transcendentalists of the 19th century.  http://foothillspublishing.com/2010/id57.htm
 

BOOK #5    !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brûlée:  How a Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America, by Thomas Craughwell (Release 9/18/12)
Speaker: Thomas Craughwell; Author, Historian, Commentator

In 1784, Jefferson struck a deal with his slave, James Hemings, taking him to Paris to master the art of French cooking in exchange for his freedom.  James apprenticed under master French chefs while Jefferson studied the cultivation of French crops (especially grapes for winemaking) to replicate in American agriculture.  This nonfiction story behind their adventure includes 12 of their original recipes!  http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jeffersons-Creme-Brulee-Introduced/dp/1594745781
 

BOOK #6  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man, by Walter Stahr (Release 9/18/12)
Speaker: Jennifer Haines; Manager of Educational Programs, Genesee Country Village and Museum

Progressive Governor of NY, outspoken US Senator, Secretary of State and closest advisor to Lincoln during the Civil War, Seward was one of the most important Americans of the 19th century.   Drawing on hundreds of sources previously not available or neglected, this new biography sheds new light on this complex figure, as well as on pivotal events of the Civil War and its aftermath.  http://walterstahr.com/books/seward-lincolns-indispensable-man/synopsis/
 

BOOK #7

Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert Todd Lincoln, by Jason Emerson
Speaker: Jason Emerson; Author, Historian, Editor

Ten years of research and previously unavailable materials went into the making of this newly published biography of President Lincoln’s only surviving son. The remarkable man and achievements of Robert Lincoln, who was a Union soldier, a minister to Great Britain, a U.S. Secretary of War and president of the Pullman Car Company, are illuminated as he made his own indelible mark on history.  http://www.jasonemerson.com/giantintheshadows.html
 

BOOK #8  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Twelve Desperate Miles: The Epic World War II Voyage of the SS Contessa, by Tim Brady
Speaker: Richard J. Findlay; Colonel USMC (Ret), Professor US Naval War College

The story of the November 1942 invasion of Allied forces in North Africa with a spotlight on a little–known aspect of Operation Torch:  the role of the SS Contessa. A banana boat of Honduran registry, it was the only vessel with a draft shallow enough to make it up the Moroccan river.  While portraying the ship’s journey day–by–day and describing its colorful crew, the overall invasion and its aftermath are chronicled.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303815404577336231301479306.html
 

BOOK #9  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes, by Evan Dawson
Speaker: Evan Dawson; Author, Managing Editor New York Cork Report

Summer in a Glass is not a book about wine; it’s a book about hope. Filled with likable characters from around the world, Dawson tells the story of how they arrived at the same place to lift up an industry. They go on to change a region, but more importantly, they change their own lives in ways they desperately need. http://www.evandawsonwrites.com/
 

BOOK #10

Adirondack Kids, by Justin and Gary VanRiper, Illustrated by Carol VanRiper
Speakers: Gary VanRiper, Award Winning Author, Adirondack 46er; Carol VanRiper, Illustrator

This series of 12 chapter books for middle readers is a family effort, written by a father and son team with interior black and white illustrations by mom.   Together they glean from their past summers spent in the Adirondacks to tell adventurous stories filled with nature and fun! Carol and Gary VanRiper will also talk about how to begin writing and the publishing process.   http://www.adirondackkids.com/
 

BOOK #11

Skaneateles: The Character and Characters of a Lakeside Village, by Kihm Winship
Speaker: Kihm Winship; Local Author, Historian, Blogger

Returning to OFTB this year, well known raconteur Kihm Winship will present: A Return to Skaneateles: More Characters Revealed, based on his book.  Guests will be delightfully entertained with more local tales of the lives of the interesting people whose personal histories have become woven into the tapestry of our community.  http://kihm6.wordpress.com/; http://www.amazon.com/Skaneateles-Character-Characters-Lakeside-Village/dp/B004DIQER8
 

BOOK #12  !! SORRY !! This selection is unavailable !! SORRY !!

Freddy the Pig, by Walter R. Brooks
Speaker: Sean Kirst, Award Winning Columnist for the Syracuse Post Standard

CNY author Walter R. Brooks published his charming series of books centered on Freddy the Pig, and the other talking animals at Bean Farm, from the 1920’s until the 50’s. These stories are included on many lists of best loved children literature. Sean Kirst will focus his discussion on the idiosyncrasies of Brook’s wonderful characters and why these books remain popular today.