Off the Shelves – January 11

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New items are available at the Hancock County Public Library.

The following items are available at the Hancock County Public Library, 900 W. McKenzie Road. For more information on the library’s collection or to reserve a title, visit hcplibrary.org.

Adult fiction

“Uncommon Type,” by Tom Hanks

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Yes, THE Tom Hanks, the actor, is now an author with this collection of short stories.

A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country’s civil war; a man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game — and then another and then another and then many more in a row until he winds up ESPN’s newest celebrity forcing him to decide if celebrity has ruined the thing he loves; an eccentric billionaire and his faithful executive assistant venture into America looking for acquisitions and discover a down and out motel, romance, and a bit of real life. These are just some of the tales Tom Hanks tells in this, his first collection of short stories.

Adult nonfiction

“Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Countercultural Cook,” by Alice Waters

When Alice Waters opened the doors of her “little French restaurant” in Berkeley, California, in 1971, no one anticipated the indelible mark it would leave on the culinary landscape — Alice least of all. Fueled by naiveté and a relentless pursuit of beauty and flavor, she turned her passion project into an iconic institution that redefined American cuisine for generations of chefs and food lovers. In “Coming to My Senses,” Alice retraces the events that led her to her location on Shattuck Avenue and the tumultuous times that encouraged her to find her own voice as a cook. Moving from her suburban upbringing to Berkeley in 1964 at the height of the Free Speech Movement and campus unrest, she was drawn into a bohemian circle of charismatic figures whose views on politics and culture would form the basis on which Chez Panisse was founded. Dotted with stories, recipes, photographs and letters, “Coming to My Senses” is a revealing look at one woman’s evolution from a rebellious follower to a respected activist who effected social and political change through the common bond of food.