Check It Out Category: Books

What to Read from Home – Staff E-Book Picks

Posted March 30, 2020 by Cathleen

For comfort reads, stories to make you laugh, and books to help you experience a different life, the next in our series of staff picks of what to try through the OverDrive or Hoopla digital services features e-books with little or no wait. Don’t miss parts one and two, and check back twice each week for spotlights of what to read, watch, or listen to. For even more ideas, follow along on Goodreads or contact us for a suggestion that is personalized just for you!

Laura recommends
The Spies of Shilling Lane
by Jennifer Ryan
“drama, suspense, and humor with enjoyable characters”
ebook (also e-audio)

Jenny and Denise recommend
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
“The Wedding Planner meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding in this fun, somewhat steamy romp”
ebook (also e-audio)

Cathleen recommends
The Little Book of Hygge
by Meik Wiking
“a cozy blanket of a book that inspires better living”
ebook (also e-audio)

Nancy recommends
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
“when you want to fall in love with reading again, treat yourself to this bittersweet and quirky story about second chances”
ebook (also e-audio)

Liz recommends
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
“a character tries to stay a step ahead of a mysterious curse in this compelling contemporary YA fantasy”
ebook (also e-audio)

Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King book cover

Chelsea recommends
The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King
by Jerome Charyn
“a fun romp featuring Teddy Roosevelt, his upbringing, and his rise to becoming a Rough Rider”
ebook (also e-audio)

Denise recommends
The 5 Love Languages
by Gary Chapman
“partners living in close quarters will find new understanding of each other”
ebook (also e-audio)

Cathleen recommends
Displacement by Lucy Knisley
“themes of cherishing life, laughter, and legacy offer particular resonance in challenging times”
ebook

Laura recommends
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
“creepy chalk figures, murder, and mystery in a small English village”
ebook (also e-audio)

Liz recommends
Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë
“my standby classic comfort read!”
ebook (also e-audio)

Chelsea, Denise, and Liz recommend
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
by Talia Hibbert
“charming characters both with their own past life and relationship baggage; a bit on the snarky side, and I want to be Chloe’s new best friend!”
ebook (also e-audio)

Jenny recommends

Atomic Habits

by James Clear
“digestible yet informative guide on understanding how habits are created and the small steps you can take to form new ones”
ebook (also e-audio)

Staff Picks for Digital Reads and Listens

Posted March 23, 2020 by Cathleen

Need a new book to provide comfort, distraction, or insight during this time of social distancing? Our readers’ advisory staff have picked favorites that are available through the OverDrive or Hoopla digital book services with little or no wait! Check back twice each week for fresh digital recommendations of what to read, watch, or listen to, follow along on Goodreads, or contact us for a suggestion that is personalized just for you!

Laura recommends
The Accident by Chris Pavone
“a clever and suspenseful conspiracy thriller”
ebook and e-audio

Al recommends
Hollywood Homicide
by Kellye Garrett
“a fast-paced whodunit”
e-audio

Liz recommends
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
“compelling and delightfully atmospheric”
e-audio

Abby recommends
I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
“a sweet YA romance about following your own dreams and reconnecting with friends and family”
e-audio and ebook

Denise recommends
Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen
for fans of A Man Called Ove
ebook and e-audio

Jenny recommends
The Book of Joy

by Dalai Lama XIV & Desmond Tutu
“deep happiness and light humor radiate through this wide-ranging conversation between two individuals who have faced adversity”
e-audio and ebook

Nancy recommends
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
“offers escape through fascinating characters and gorgeous writing”
ebook and e-audio

Andrea recommends
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
“really helped to put the discomforts of self-quarantine into perspective”
ebook

Cathleen recommends
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
“crackling narration, interesting twists, and full-throttle hilarity”
e-audio

Denise recommends
Conviction by Denise Mina
“delightfully twisty and suspenseful with a dash of humor!”
e-audio and ebook

Jenny recommends
One More Thing by B.J. Novak
“hilarious and smart short stories”
e-audio and ebook

Laura recommends

Nine Women, One Dress

by Jane L. Rosen
“charming, feel-good story”
ebook and e-audio

Cathleen recommends
Underground Airlines
by Ben H. Winters
“a smart, moody, tantalizing ride”
ebook and e-audio

Abby recommends
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
“for readers who enjoy books by Sarah J. Maas or stories with fairy-tale elements”
ebook and e-audio

Al recommends
The Yellow House
by Sarah M. Broom
National Book Award winner
New Orleans memoir
ebook

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society cover image

Nancy and Abby recommend
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
“a warm-hearted book with likable characters”
ebook and e-audio

The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Liz recommends
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart Turton
“the narrator’s voice is superb; you will be immediately immersed in the the world of the story”
e-audio and ebook

New for Book Clubs: The Dreamers, American Princess, and The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

Posted March 9, 2020 by Cathleen

If your group enjoys reading stories of disruption – whether thoughtful, zany, or based on real-life characters – look no further than three recent additions to the Book Discussion collection. These are hand-picked reads ideal for personal enrichment or for group conversation. Be sure to check out earlier announcements, and watch for even more additions each week!

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

provocative, compelling, intricately plotted
for fans of Emily St. John Mandel, Ben H. Winters, and Richard Powers

One night in an isolated college town, a first-year student stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. As the mysterious illness spreads, the doctors discover those affected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, and questions of consciousness are explored in a provocative, hypnotic tale.

LibraryReads Favorite

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt by Stephanie Marie Thornton

engaging, fast-paced, biographical fiction
for fans of Stephanie Barron, Jennifer Chiaverini, and Paula McLain

Alice may be the president’s daughter, but she’s nobody’s darling. As bold as her signature color Alice Blue, the gum-chewing, cigarette-smoking, poker-playing First Daughter discovers that the only way for a woman to stand out in Washington is to make waves–oceans of them. With the canny sophistication of the savviest politician on the Hill, Alice uses her celebrity to her advantage, testing the limits of her power and the seductive thrill of political entanglements.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen

humorous, books in translation, diary novel
for fans of Fredrik Backman, Jonas Jonasson, and Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

The riotous journal of an octogenarian who is far from reaching the end of his life traces a year in his care home in Amsterdam, revealing the ups and downs of his misadventures with the anarchic “Old-But-Not-Dead Club” and a longtime crush whom he courted to devastating effect.

Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year
Loan Stars Favourite
#1 International Bestseller

New for Book Clubs: Pachinko, The Great Alone, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Posted March 2, 2020 by Cathleen

Books that transport to a thrilling environment are excellent sparks for discussion, and below are three recent additions to the Book Discussion collection, each crafted with an immersive sense of place. These are hand-picked reads ideal for personal enrichment or for group conversation. Check out earlier announcements, and watch for even more additions each week!

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

sweeping, emotional, family saga
for fans of Isabel Allende, Pearl S. Buck, and Khaled Hosseini

In early 1900s Korea, prized daughter Sunja finds herself pregnant and alone, bringing shame on her family until a young tubercular minister offers to marry her and move with her to Japan, in the saga of one family bound together as their faith and identity are called into question.

National Book Award Finalist
New York Times Best Book of the Year
ALA Notable Book

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

descriptive, engaging, character-driven
for fans of Barbara Kingsolver, Jodi Picoult, and Anita Shreve

When her volatile, former POW father impulsively moves the family to mid-1970s Alaska to live off the land, young Leni and her mother are forced to confront the dangers of their lack of preparedness in the wake of a dangerous winter season.

Goodreads Choice Award Winner Best Historical Fiction
LibraryReads Favorite
New York Times Bestseller

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

atmospheric, suspenseful, nonlinear
for fans of Paula Hawkins, Diane Setterfield, and Daphne Du Maurier

When Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance, she recognizes that the letter was sent to the wrong person–but also that she might successfully claim the money. It is only when she attends the funeral that she realizes there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.

New York Times Bestseller
LibraryReads Favorite
Goodreads Choice Finalist Best Mystery and Thriller

New for Book Clubs: When We Left Cuba, The Friend, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Posted February 24, 2020 by Cathleen

Attention ambitious book groups: Allow us to introduce three titles that aren’t afraid to test the boundaries of character, theme, and style. Ideal for those who crave thought-provoking dialogue, these new additions to the Book Discussion collection pose moral dilemmas that will invite strong opinion. Whether you read on your own or with a book club, you won’t miss earlier announcements one, two, three, and four, and more are yet to come!

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

spirited, melodramatic, engaging
for fans of Isabel Allende, Elizabeth Kostova, and Janice Y.K. Lee

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez: her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. She must make a choice between her past and future… but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything.

New York Times bestseller

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

introspective, leisurely paced, stylistically complex
for fans of Steven Rowley, Teju Cole, and Kent Haruf

Becoming the guardian of her late best friend’s enormous Great Dane, a grieving woman is evicted from her no-pets apartment and forges a deep bond with the equally distraught animal in ways that initially disturb her friends.

National Book Award Winner for Fiction
New York Times Notable Book
Kirkus Starred Review

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

subversive, propulsive, darkly humorous
for fans of Alexandra Kleeman, Jennifer Egan, and Bret Easton Ellis

After losing her parents, a young college graduate in New York City spends a year alienating the world under the influence of a crazy combination of drugs.

New York Times Best Book of the Year
Time Magazine Best Book of the Year
Goodreads Choice Nominee for Best Fiction

Library Closing