Friendship on the Nile

History is revised in Enid Shomer's debut novel The Twelve Rooms of the Nile. Before they forged their places in history, Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert traveled on the same boat along the Nile. Although the two likely never met during their journey, Shomer has turned this historical coincidence into remarkable fiction. Both searching for purpose in life, Nightingale and Flaubert begin a friendship through which they are able to share their deepest wishes and greatest fears. If you're looking for a novel to dive into during Read a New Book Month this September, The Twelve Rooms of the Nile is a fascinating choice.

Julia Child's 100th Birthday

Before Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart, Julia Child was the original rock star of the kitchen. Not a natural at cooking, she enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu in 1948 after experiencing a life-changing meal in Paris. Thirteen years later she published Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which remains a cookbook staple in kitchens across America. Dearie by Bob Spitz, timed to coincide with what would have been Child's 100th birthday, describes her incredible life story and explores how she acted as a role model for post-war American women, changing both the kitchen and the culture in the process.

New Beginnings -- and Endings

In the age of Pinterest and Youtube, do we really need another knitting book? If you're talking about Cast On, Bind Off by knitting guru Leslie Ann Bestor, the answer is definitely yes. Divided into categories such as stretchy or decorative, this how-to-guide outlines 33 cast-on and 21 bind-off methods that are sure to become your secret weapons in knitting. Complete with step-by-step instructions and color photographs, this user-friendly guide is handy for beginners and experts alike.

September is Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 begins the month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Mark the occasion by picking up Julia Alvarez's A Wedding in Haiti, a memoir chronicling her hilarious and life-changing experiences in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Years after Alvarez promises a friend she will attend his wedding, she must fulfill her pledge by traveling across the turbulent nation of Haiti, bribing officials along the way. A year later, she and her husband make the same journey, this time to find her friend in the devastation of the 2010 earthquake that struck the island nation. Once we have become involved in a relationship, Alvarez declares, we are transformed by our obligation to it.

A Wallflower Blossoms

More than 10 years after its publication, the popular teen novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower is appearing on the big screen. Written by Stephen Chbosky and set in west Pennsylvania in 1991, the book chronicles the letters of Charlie, a freshman in high school, to an anonymous friend. Struggling to fit in while dealing with his friend's recent suicide, Charlie finds a place in a group of friends and a new outlook on life. Check out this thought-provoking novel before you see the movie version, which was adapted for film and directed by the author himself.

An Environmental Pioneer

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, a book that rocked the chemical industry with an indictment of the pesticide DDT and its harmful effects on wildlife. Now from William Souder comes a biography of the unassuming nature writer who helped to jumpstart the environmental movement with her groundbreaking book. On a Farther Shore chronicles Carson's life and legacy as a reformer, nature lover and friend.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Stop by your local library to sign up for the most important school supply of all — a library card. A message from the American Library Association's Campaign for America's Libraries