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Jojo Rabbit book cover
Jojo Rabbit book cover

Jojo Rabbit

DVD MOVIE COMEDY Jojo
Comedy, Drama

A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy named Jojo whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

Brian's picture

I've been working my way through the Best Picture Nominees. So far I've watched: Parasite, Ford v. Ferrari, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. They have all been great, but I think I like Jojo Rabbit the best so far. There's so much humor and heart and oh-my-god did it make me cry! It felt like Taika Waititi was channeling Wes Anderson a bit too (in a good way). -Brian

Leadership strategy and tactics : field manual book cover
Leadership strategy and tactics : field manual book cover

Leadership strategy and tactics : field manual

Jocko Willink

658.4092 /Willink
Nonfiction, Business

"In the military, a field manual provides instructions in simple, clear, step-by-step language to help soldiers complete their mission. In the civilian sector, books offer information on everything from fixing a leaky faucet to developing an effective workout program to cooking a good steak. But what if you are promoted into a new position leading your former peers? What if you don't get selected for the leadership position you wanted? How do you overcome imposter syndrome, when you aren't sure you should be leading? As a leader, how do you judiciously dole out punishment? What about reward? How do you build trust with your both your superiors and your subordinates? How do you deliver truthful criticism up and down the chain of command in a tactful and positive way? These are all questions about leadership-the most complex of all human endeavors. And while there are books out there that provide solid leadership principles, books like Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership, there is no leadership field manual that provides a direct, situational, pragmatic how-to guide that anyone can instantly put to use. Until now. Leadership Strategy and Tactics explains how to take leadership theory, quickly translate that theory into applicable strategy, and then put leadership into action at a tactical level. This book is the solution that leaders at every level need-not just to understand the leadership game, but also how to play the leadership game, and win it"--

Melody's picture

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I just thought, "I like leadership. I like strategies and tactics. This book is for me!" Jocko Willink is a former Navy Seal and allllll the metaphors he waxes are military ones. And you know what? It works. It is surprisingly applicable to most organizational scenarios I've been in. If offers practical advice (the tactics) and helps you think about looking up and out at bigger strategic possibilities. You might read the phrase "up and down the chain of command" a lot, but you don't have to be in the military to get something out of this book. You just have to be a member of a team and want to do great things. -Melody

Why we can't sleep : women's new midlife crisis book cover
Why we can't sleep : women's new midlife crisis book cover

Why we can't sleep : women's new midlife crisis

Ada Calhoun

305.42 /Calhoun
Nonfiction

"When Ada Calhoun found herself in the throes of a midlife crisis, she thought that she had no right to complain. She was married with children and a good career. So why did she feel miserable? And why did it seem that other Generation X women were miserable, too? Calhoun decided to find some answers. She looked into housing costs, HR trends, credit card debt averages, and divorce data. At every turn, she saw a pattern: sandwiched between the Boomers and the Millennials, Gen X women were facing new problems as they entered middle age, problems that were being largely overlooked. Speaking with women across America about their experiences as the generation raised to "have it all," Calhoun found that most were exhausted, terrified about money, underemployed, and overwhelmed. Instead of their issues being heard, they were told instead to lean in, take "me-time," or make a chore chart to get their lives and homes in order. In Why We Can't Sleep, Calhoun opens up the cultural and political contexts of Gen X's predicament and offers solutions for how to pull oneself out of the abyss-and keep the next generation of women from falling in. The result is reassuring, empowering, and essential reading for all middle-aged women, and anyone who hopes to understand them"--

Melody's picture

I can't wait to read this book. It's not just about incessant worry that creeps up on women during the middle of the night. It explores all of the pressures that weigh on our consciousnesses as women who are solidly in adulthood and juggling all the demands that places on us. -Melody

Henry VIII and the men who made him book cover
Henry VIII and the men who made him book cover

Henry VIII and the men who made him

Tracy Borman

BIOGRAPHY Henry VIII
History

Anne M's picture

Most of the books we have on Henry VIII are about his wives. There is something to that. His relationships with those "ever-changing" queens are fascinating. They involved death, romance, and political power resulting in the simple adage: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Henry VIII's favor shifted just as quickly with his courtiers, advisers, and minions, a word borrowed from the French court that started appearing in the English language around his reign. Tracy Borman explores the lives of these individuals in this book. From Cardinal Wolsey, his Lord Chancellor, to Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, Henry's court was full of intrigue and power struggles impacting England's religion, politics, and foreign relations. It is an interesting read and Borman is a gifted storyteller. If you liked "Wolf Hall," you'll love this biography. -Anne M

Dune book cover
Dune book cover

Dune

Frank Herbert

SCIENCE FICTION Herbert, Frank
Science Fiction

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family-and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what it undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

Brian's picture

I decided to re-read my favorite book after 10 years to see if it was as good as I remembered. Thankfully, it definitely is! Dune is considered a Sci-Fi classic for a reason. -Brian

Stardust book cover
Stardust book cover

Stardust

Neil Gaiman

SCIENCE FICTION Gaiman, Neil
Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Romance

Casey's picture

Hard to believe that Stardust has been around for just over 20 years! One of, if not the, first book by modern magician, Neil Gaiman, that I read many years ago. Although written with simplistic prose reminiscent of Grimm, and Andersen fairytales, this is a work that is definitely NOT for children. I can hardly wait to cross the wall and seek a fallen star in Faerie again. -Casey

The Dutch house : a novel book cover
The Dutch house : a novel book cover

The Dutch house : a novel

Ann Patchett

FICTION Patchett Ann
Historical Fiction

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves. Cyril's son Danny and his older sister Maeve are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another.

Becky's picture

"The Dutch House" compiles a set of memories and stories that span the course of five decades. Ann Patchett skillfully moves us back and forth in time, with the house serving as an integral piece to our understanding of the characters and changing family dynamics. I love the moments and conversations between Danny and his sister Maeve. One particular conversation that stuck with me throughout my reading was when Danny and Maeve were discussing whether or not the past could be viewed as it actually was or whether the past is altered by the lens we use at present. I really enjoyed reading Patchett's, "The Dutch House! It’s a great read for those who enjoy well developed characters, interesting family relationships, fairy tale undercurrents and a historical setting. -Becky

American royals book cover
American royals book cover

American royals

Katharine McGee

YOUNG ADULT FICTION McGee, Katharine
Fiction, Young Adult

In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha Washington and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jeffrey, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world.

Angie's picture

What if George Washington had accepted a crown instead of the Presidency? And then, what would that monarchy look like in the modern day? The book covers the adventures of four women: Beatrice, the first to-be-queen to reign America on her own; Samantha, her spunky younger sister; Nina, Sam’s loyal best friend; and Daphne, ambitious ex-girlfriend of Sam’s twin brother, Jeff. It does bop between their differing POVs, but it isn’t confusing or jarring. This was a fun YA read with many things that I love - royalty, romance, really well-written female characters. My expectations were high, and they were definitely met! -Angie

Star Wars. Jedi: fallen order. book cover
Star Wars. Jedi: fallen order. book cover

Star Wars. Jedi: fallen order.

VIDEO GAME PlayStation 4 Star Wars

A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a new 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment. This narratively-driven single player game puts you in the role of a Jedi Padawan who narrowly escaped the purge of Order 66 following the events of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. On a quest to rebuild the Jedi Order, you must pick up the pieces of your shattered past to complete your training, develop new powerful Force abilities, and master the art of the iconic lightsaber - all while staying one step ahead of the Empire and its deadly Inquisitors. While mastering your abilities, players will engage in cinematically-charged lightsaber and Force combat designed to deliver the kind of intense Star Wars lightsaber battles as seen in the films. Players will need to approach enemies strategically, sizing up strengths and weaknesses while cleverly utilizing your Jedi training to overcome your opponents and solve the mysteries that lay in your path. Star Wars fans will recognize iconic locations, weapons, gear, and enemies while also meeting a roster of fresh characters, locations, creatures, droids and adversaries new to Star Wars. As part of this authentic Star Wars story, fans will delve into a galaxy recently seized by the Empire. As a Jedi hero-turned-fugitive, players will need to fight for survival while exploring the mysteries of a long-extinct civilization all in an effort to rebuild the remnants of the Jedi Order as the Empire seeks to erase the Jedi completely.

Brian's picture

Jedi: Fallen Order was an addictive blend of Metroid and Dark Souls with a fun cast of new Star Wars characters. -Brian

What's your pronoun? : beyond he & she book cover
What's your pronoun? : beyond he & she book cover

What's your pronoun? : beyond he & she

Dennis E. Baron

425.55 /Baron
Nonfiction

"The story of how we got from he and she to zie and hir and singular they. Like trigger warnings and gender-neutral bathrooms, pronouns are suddenly sparking debate, prompting new policies in schools, workplaces, even prisons, about what pronouns to use. Colleges ask students to declare their pronouns; corporate conferences print nametags with space for people to add their pronouns; email signatures sport pronouns along with names and titles. Far more than a byproduct of campus politics or culture wars, gender-neutral pronouns are in fact nothing new. Renowned linguist Dennis Baron puts them in historical context, demonstrating that Shakespeare used singular they; that women evoked the generic use of he to assert the right to vote (while those opposed to women's rights invoked the same word to assert that he did not include she), and that self-appointed language experts have been coining new gender pronouns, not just hir and zie but hundreds more, like thon, ip, and em, for centuries. Based on Baron's own empirical research, What's Your Pronoun? tells the untold story of gender-neutral and nonbinary pronouns"--

Melody's picture

I have an editing background and I may or may not have once a subscription to a publication solely about copyediting. Sentence structure matters! Words matter! But you know what? Social customs change, and rules are there so we can break them--or, rather, *evolve* into our better, more complete selves. This book is an excellent guide for anyone curious about how the English language is evolving to be more inclusive. -Melody

Lalani of the distant sea book cover
Lalani of the distant sea book cover

Lalani of the distant sea

Erin Entrada Kelly

jFICTION Kelly Erin
Kids, Fantasy

"Twelve-year-old Lalani Sarita takes on the impossible task of traveling to the legendary Mount Isa, towering on an island to the north. Generations of men and boys have died on the same quest--how can a timid young girl in a tiny boat survive the epic tests of the archipelago?"--

Becky's picture

What an amazing story inspired by Filipino folklore! “Lalani of the Distant Sea” is an engrossing story that weaves in superstition, gender roles, friendship and choice in a way that is thought-provoking and inspiring. I loved this story and would highly recommend it! -Becky

Star wars : Doctor Aphra book cover
Star wars : Doctor Aphra book cover

Star wars : Doctor Aphra

Kieron Gillen

COMIC Star Wars Doctor
Graphic Novels

"Following her time in the clutches of Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra has barely escaped with her life. If the Dark Lord of the Sith ever learns of her survival, he'll hunt her to the ends of the galaxy. But for now, it's time for a return to what she does best. With droids Triple-Zero and BeeTee-One in tow, as well as Wookiee Black Krrsantan, she's off in search of rare artifacts from the galactic center to the Outer Rim -- and everywhere in between. Aphra's got debts to pay, after all. Just as long as she can stay one step ahead of the Empire, some bounty hunters...and just about everyone else in the galaxy!"--Back cover of Volume 1.

Brian's picture

Doctor Aphra was my favorite part of Gillen's Darth Vader comic. I had high-hopes for her solo series, and I haven't been disappointed in the least! Aphra has set out on her own after faking her death to get a certain Sith Lord off her back. The rogue archaeologist, along with BT, Trip and Black Krrsantan, is up to no good and trying to make a buck in the galaxy. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra is non-stop fun. I highly recommend it to any Star Wars fan. -Brian

Where the mountain meets the moon book cover
Where the mountain meets the moon book cover

Where the mountain meets the moon

Grace Lin

jFICTION Lin, Grace
Kids, Fantasy

Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.

Becky's picture

This is a beautiful fantasy adventure novel rooted in Chinese folklore. It follows Minli, a strong and lovable heroine, on her quest to seek answers from the Old Man of the Moon. While traveling, Minli meets several interesting characters and is told memorable folklore tales. This is a book for all ages! Grace Lin is an excellent storyteller and her artwork throughout the story is stunning! -Becky

Gideon the ninth book cover
Gideon the ninth book cover

Gideon the ninth

Tamsyn Muir

SCIENCE FICTION Muir Tamsyn
Fantasy, Fiction

Muir's Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cutthroat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Melody's picture

I first read about this book on a list promoting titles that break down the heteronormative barrier of fantasy fiction. We love diverse books here at ICPL, and it's taken far too long for LGBTQIA+ fantasy to become mainstream. But that time has arrived! I'm not finished with this book yet, but it has the right amount of swordplay (and wordplay!), and the queer-romance angle is a slow burn. Necromancers dueling in space through their sidekicks takes everything to the next level. And what's on the line? Gideon's freedom. Definitely a book for fantasy lovers to put on their to-read list! -Melody

The Seine : the river that made Paris book cover
The Seine : the river that made Paris book cover

The Seine : the river that made Paris

Elaine Sciolino

944.36 /Sciolino
Nonfiction, Travel, History

"In the spring of 1978, as a young journalist in Paris, Elaine Sciolino was seduced by a river. In The Seine, she tells the story of that river through its rich history and lively characters-a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat- dweller, a famous cinematographer known for capturing the river's light. She patrols with river police, rows with a restorer of antique boats, discovers a champagne vineyard, and even dares to swim in the Seine. Sciolino's keen eye and vivid prose bring the river to life as she discovers its origins on a remote plateau in Burgundy, where a pagan goddess healed pilgrims at an ancient temple. She follows the Seine to Le Havre, where it meets the sea. Braiding memoir, travelogue, and history through the Seine's winding route, Sciolino offers a love letter to Paris and the river at its heart and invites readers to explore its magic."--

Candice's picture

Elaine Sciolino also wrote the wonderful book "The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs" and I feel like she has perfected the blend of awe and love for place, history, anecdote, and commentary. She brings the Seine to life here, it is a character in the past, present, and future of Paris. Full of interesting tales about, and lovely descriptions of, everything and anything related to the great river--architecture, city-scapes, food, people, art, history...it's all here. -Candice

The Sixth Man : a memoir book cover
The Sixth Man : a memoir book cover

The Sixth Man : a memoir

Andre Iguodala

796.323092 /Iguodala
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir

"A standout sports memoir from NBA powerhouse, a swingman and NBA All-Star of the Golden State Warriors"--

Melody's picture

Librarians love it when prominent people publicize their "best of" book lists. Former President Barack Obama is an avid sports fan, and the basketball biography from Andre Igoudala made the President's Best of 2019 list. Igoudala's life story is thoughtful and inspiring. The whole list is impressive, too. Find it on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6oYKxAgCn7/ -Melody

Getting to yes : negotiating agreement without giving in book cover
Getting to yes : negotiating agreement without giving in book cover

Getting to yes : negotiating agreement without giving in

Roger Fisher

158.5 /Fisher
Nonfiction, Business

"Since it was first published in 1981, Getting to Yes has become a central book in the Business Canon: the key text on the psychology of negotiation. Its message of "principled negotiations"--finding acceptable compromise by determining which needs are fixed and which are flexible for negotiating parties--has influenced generations of businesspeople, lawyers, educators and anyone who has sought to achieve a win-win situation in arriving at an agreement. It has sold over 8 million copies worldwide in 30 languages, and since it was first published by Penguin in 1991 (a reissue of the original addition with Bruce Patton as additional coauthor) has sold over 2.5 million copies--which places it as the #10 bestselling title overall in Penguin Books, and #3 bestselling nonfiction title overall. We have recently relicensed the rights to Getting to Yes, and will be doing a new revised edition--a 30th anniversary of the original publication and 20th of the Penguin edition. The authors will be bringing the book up to date with new material and a assessment of the legacy and achievement of Getting to Yes after three decades"--

Melody's picture

This book is a contemporary classic! Written by members of the Harvard Negotiation Project, you will find this book in political science classrooms around the U.S. Or at least, that was my exposure to it--in a class on international politics and peacekeeping. It's great to re-read any time you need to negotiate an agreement with someone. Buying a car? Taking the iPad away from your child? This book contains secrets to let both sides save face and find the next best option. -Melody

The tiger's wife book cover
The tiger's wife book cover

The tiger's wife

Téa Obreht

FICTION Obreht, Tea
Fiction

Remembering childhood stories her grandfather once told her, young physician Natalia becomes convinced that he spent his last days searching for "the deathless man," a vagabond who claimed to be immortal. As Natalia struggles to understand why her grandfather, a deeply rational man would go on such a farfetched journey, she stumbles across a clue that leads her to the extraordinary story of the tiger's wife.

Becky's picture

“The Tiger’s Wife” is a tale where the real and the fantastical are intertwined, a great example of magical realism. While the story follows Natalia, the main storyline builds upon the death of her grandfather. Natalia reexamines memories and stories shared by her grandfather to come to a better understanding surrounding the mysteriousness of his disappearance and death. Through those memories, we are introduced to the Deathless Man and the Tiger’s Wife, both are characters rooted in fantasy and superstition. It is through the Deathless Man and the Tiger’s Wife that Natalia deals with her grief and learns more about her grandfather. -Becky

The emerald horizon : the history of nature in Iowa book cover
The emerald horizon : the history of nature in Iowa book cover

The emerald horizon : the history of nature in Iowa

Cornelia Fleischer Mutel

508.777 /Mutel
Nonfiction, Nature, Science

Jason's picture

A terrific overview of the natural history of Iowa. Any state would be lucky to have such a primer for residents to better understand the world outside their doors. -Jason

Akin : a novel book cover
Akin : a novel book cover

Akin : a novel

Emma Donoghue

FICTION Donoghue Emma
Fiction

"Noah Selvaggio is a retired chemistry professor and widower living on the Upper West Side, but born in the South of France. He is days away from his first visit back to Nice since he was a child, bringing with him a handful of puzzling photos he's discovered from his mother's wartime years. But he receives a call from social services: Noah is the closest available relative of an eleven-year-old great-nephew he's never met, who urgently needs someone to look after him. Out of a feeling of obligation, Noah agrees to take Michael along on his trip. Much has changed in this famously charming seaside mecca, still haunted by memories of the Nazi occupation. The unlikely duo, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, bicker about everything from steak fries to screen time. But Noah gradually comes to appreciate the boy's truculent wit, and Michael's ease with tech and sharp eye help Noah unearth troubling details about their family's past. Both come to grasp the risks people in all eras have run for their loved ones, and find they are more akin than they knew. Written with all the tenderness and psychological intensity that made Room an international bestseller, Akin is a funny, heart-wrenching tale of an old man and a boy, born two generations apart, who unpick their painful story and start to write a new one together."--Provided by publisher.

Mari's picture

I love how Emma Donoghue's books are all so different! This one takes you on a journey to Nice, France when a retired chemistry professor from New York decides to revisit his childhood home after a series of photographs he discovers upon his sister's death presents a mystery about his mother's involvement in World War II. The trip is suddenly much different than his expectations when he is given responsibility for the care of his eleven-year old great nephew while his mother is incarcerated. This story has elements of travel, historical fiction, child welfare,and the bridging of two very different generations. -Mari

This is how you lose the time war book cover
This is how you lose the time war book cover

This is how you lose the time war

Amal El-Mohtar

SCIENCE FICTION El-Mohtar Amal
Science Fiction

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them.

Brian's picture

Any description of this book will sell it short, but I will say this--don't let the Sci-Fi aspect scare you off if it's not your thing. This is a beautifully written romance wearing Sci-Fi clothing. -Brian

The shortest day book cover
The shortest day book cover

The shortest day

Susan Cooper

jE Cooper
Picture Books, Nature, Literary Fiction

A celebration of the winter solstice and the Yuletide season. As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again. Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper's poem "The Shortest Day" captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before-- and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!

Casey's picture

Lofty, elegant, and achingly beautiful, Carson Ellis's illustrations are the perfect pairing for Susan Cooper's poem. Don't miss this true winter solstice celebration from and for the ages! -Casey

Iowa Confederates in the Civil War book cover
Iowa Confederates in the Civil War book cover

Iowa Confederates in the Civil War

David Connon

977.702 /Connon
Nonfiction, History

Melody's picture

Once in a while, we get an Iowa history book that disrupts what we always believed was true. Iowa Confederates in the Civil War does exactly this. Author David Connon chronicles 76 Iowans who headed south and signed up to fight against the Union. Listen to the River to River interview with the author here: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/new-research-shows-least-76-iowans-joined-confederacy-during-civil-war#stream/0 -Melody

Sulwe book cover
Sulwe book cover

Sulwe

Lupita Nyong'o

jE Nyongo
Picture Books

When five-year-old Sulwe's classmates make fun of her dark skin, she tries lightening herself to no avail, but her encounter with a shooting star helps her understand there is beauty in every shade.

Mari's picture

Lupita's story of her own struggle with being unique is portrayed beautifully through Sulwe's desire to just fit in. A great story about loving yourself. -Mari

The song of Achilles book cover
The song of Achilles book cover

The song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

FICTION Miller Madeline
Fiction

"Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. "The best of all the Greeks"-strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess-Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine-much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles' mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller's page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career." (Summary from Amazon)

Becky's picture

"The Song of Achilles" is such an interesting rendition of the tale of the Trojan War. It is told by the perspective of Patroclus, beginning with him as a young child being exiled to the court of King Peleus. There, he and Achilles develop a deep bond which carries them through Chiron's training and into the battlefield. Beautifully written! -Becky

The secrets we kept book cover
The secrets we kept book cover

The secrets we kept

Lara Prescott

FICTION Prescott Lara
Historical Fiction

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak's magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world--using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally's tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.

Becky's picture

While "The Secrets We Kept" is set around the creation and publication of Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago," it is not necessary to have read "Doctor Zhivago" to appreciate Prescott's work (though I now have added it to my list of books to read in the future!). Your attention shifts between two U.S. undercover typists working to distribute Pasternak's novel, to Olga (Pasternak's mistress), who's own livelihood and well being is very closely linked to the novel's publication. I really enjoy historical fiction and loved how this account examines the consequences and impact of creative, intellectual works during the time of the Cold War. -Becky

Three mages and a margarita : The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, Book 1 book cover
Three mages and a margarita : The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, Book 1 book cover

Three mages and a margarita : The Guild Codex: Spellbound Series, Book 1

Annette Marie

eAUDIO
Fiction, Fantasy

Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig. It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview—to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right? I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they… offered me the job? It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here. So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course—with a pay raise. --Amazon.com

Melody's picture

I discovered the Guild Codex: Spellbound Series only about two weeks ago, and since them I'm already on the third audiobook. This series has so much action! I imagine it'd be like a Harry Potter but for adults. Mages who can control different elemental magic, mythical creatures, and epic battles. The heroine is a human who is trying to scrape by in fit in. Expect a side of romance with this book, too. -Melody

Burn the ice : the American culinary revolution and its end book cover
Burn the ice : the American culinary revolution and its end book cover

Burn the ice : the American culinary revolution and its end

Kevin (Food writer) Alexander

641.509 /Alexander
Nonfiction

James Beard Award-winning food journalist Kevin Alexander traces an exhilarating golden age in American dining. Over the past decade, Kevin Alexander saw American dining turned on its head. Starting in 2006, the food world underwent a transformation as the established gatekeepers of American culinary creativity in New York City and the Bay Area were forced to contend with Portland, Oregon. Its new, no-holds-barred, casual fine-dining style became a template for other cities, and a culinary revolution swept across America. Traditional ramen shops opened in Oklahoma City. Craft cocktail speakeasies appeared in Boise. Poke bowls sprung up in Omaha. Entire neighborhoods, like Williamsburg in Brooklyn, and cities like Austin, were suddenly unrecognizable to long-term residents, their names becoming shorthand for the so-called hipster movement. At the same time, new media companies such as Eater and Serious Eats launched to chronicle and cater to this developing scene, transforming nascent star chefs into proper celebrities. Emerging culinary television hosts like Anthony Bourdain inspired a generation to use food as the lens for different cultures. It seemed, for a moment, like a glorious belle epoque of eating and drinking in America. And then it was over. To tell this story, Alexander journeys through the travails and triumphs of a number of key chefs, bartenders, and activists, as well as restaurants and neighborhoods whose fortunes were made during this veritable gold rush--including Gabriel Rucker, an originator of the 2006 Portland restaurant scene; Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern and Top Chef fame; as well as hugely influential figures, such as André Prince Jeffries of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville; and Carolina barbecue pitmaster Rodney Scott. He writes with rare energy, telling a distinctly American story, at once timeless and cutting-edge, about unbridled creativity and ravenous ambition. To "burn the ice" means to melt down whatever remains in a kitchen's ice machine at the end of the night. Or, at the bar, to melt the ice if someone has broken a glass in the well. It is both an end and a beginning. It is the firsthand story of a revolution in how Americans eat and drink.

Jason's picture

A look at modern american cooking and restaurant/foodie entrepreneurs. Chapters follow the individual cooking journeys of influential chefs and the food scenes in various parts of America. Documents the boom/bust of some of these areas and the excesses that can come with celebrity chef status. -Jason

Other words for home book cover
Other words for home book cover

Other words for home

Jasmine Warga

jFICTION Warga Jasmine
Fiction, Kids

Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.

Anne W's picture

A beautiful, timely book in verse that will help you understand the Syrian refugee crisis. -Anne W

New kid book cover
New kid book cover

New kid

Jerry Craft

jGRAPHIC NOVEL Craft
Fiction, Kids, Graphic Novels

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds--and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Anne W's picture

Funny graphic novel with something important to say about systemic racism, microaggressions, and school segregation. -Anne W

Genesis begins again book cover
Genesis begins again book cover

Genesis begins again

Alicia Williams

jFICTION Williams Alicia
Fiction, Kids

Thirteen-year-old Genesis tries again and again to lighten her black skin, thinking it is the root of her family's troubles, before discovering reasons to love herself as is.

Anne W's picture

Heartbreaking, gritty story of a girl who struggles to feel at home in skin society and her own family tells her is too black (in ways both subtle and not) and find a place to belong when her family is frequently forced to move. -Anne W

A place to belong book cover
A place to belong book cover

A place to belong

Cynthia Kadohata

jFICTION Kadohata Cynthia
Fiction, Kids, Historical Fiction

Twelve-year-old Hanako and her family, reeling from their confinement in an internment camp, renounce their American citizenship to move to Hiroshima, a city devastated by the atomic bomb dropped by Americans.

Anne W's picture

One Japanese-American family dealing with the aftermath of WWII and their time in an internment camp -Anne W

My Jasper June book cover
My Jasper June book cover

My Jasper June

Laurel Snyder

jFICTION Snyder Laurel
Fiction, Kids

The school year is over, and it is summer in Atlanta. The sky is blue, the sun is blazing, and the days brim with possibility. But Leah feels lost. She has been this way since one terrible afternoon a year ago when everything changed. Since that day, her parents have become distant, her friends have fallen away, and Leah's been adrift and alone. Then she meets Jasper, a girl unlike anyone she has ever known. There's something mysterious about Jasper, almost magical. And Jasper, Leah discovers, is also lost. Together, the two girls carve out a place for themselves, a hideaway in the overgrown spaces of Atlanta, away from their parents and their hardships, somewhere only they can find. But as the days of this magical June start to draw to a close, and the darker realities of their lives intrude once more, Leah and Jasper have to decide how real their friendship is, and whether it can be enough to save them both.--

Anne W's picture

A touching story of friendship and loss -Anne W

The magic of Christmas book cover
The magic of Christmas book cover

The magic of Christmas

Celtic Woman

COMPACT DISC CR Celtic Magic M78
Popular, Celtic, Covers

As with their previous Christmas CD releases, this 14th album by Celtic Woman once again offers up an enjoyable collection of their "best of" traditional songs of the season.

Paul's picture

Celtic Woman once again provide a very enjoyable listening experience with their special treatment of traditional songs of the season. Just a heads up, this group will be appearing at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus on December 22nd. -Paul

A legendary Christmas book cover
A legendary Christmas book cover

A legendary Christmas

John Legend

COMPACT DISC CR Legend Legendary C92
Popular, Rhythm and Blues, Covers

Grammy-winning superstar John Legend releases his first ever holiday album. There are both classic songs and new tracks, including Bring me love.

Paul's picture

You knew it was only a matter of time before John Legend would release a Holiday album and here it is. Featuring both classic songs and new, original tracks guest artist include Stevie Wonder and Esperanza Spalding (one of my favorite bassists of all time!) -Paul

Christmas : a season of love book cover
Christmas : a season of love book cover

Christmas : a season of love

Idina Menze

COMPACT DISC CR Menzel Christmas D59
Popular, Vocal, Covers, World

This is the second Christmas album from Menzel, again featuring a strong selection of duets with a featured guest vocalists covering a number of traditonal seasonal songs.

Paul's picture

Menzel's amazing voice is once again worth the price of admission, as with her previous Christmas release she teams up for a number of duets with an A-list of currently popular vocalists. Very centered on recognizable favorites this release does include one not so traditional Hanukkah song, Ocho Kandelikas, which is sung in Ladino. -Paul

Christmas is here! book cover
Christmas is here! book cover

Christmas is here!

Pentatonix

COMPACT DISC CR Pentatonix Christmas R43
Popular, Vocal, Covers

Three-time Grammy Award winners Pentatonix release their fourth holiday album, which features brand new arrangements of modern and classical seasonal favorites. The first song featured is their cover of Making Christmas from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Paul's picture

Pentatonix have once again released an enjoyable a capella collection of Christmas music, featuring brand new arrangements of familiar favorites. I'm always amazed at what this group comes up with. -Paul

Sugar & booze book cover
Sugar & booze book cover

Sugar & booze

Ana Gasteyer

COMPACT DISC CR Gasteyer Sugar H02
Popular, Jazz, Covers

"The new album from the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member features a modern take on the swing and jazz sounds of the '50s and '60s. Gasteyer's performance is a pleasurable treat as she smoothly navigates a delightful assortment of original tracks with a number of holiday classics sprinkled in for good measure."--Herald-Standard.

Paul's picture

Features catchy rhythms evocative of the jazz and pop music of the 50's and early 60's with clever and often humorous lyrics that do push some boundaries, being just naughty enough to add spice to seasonal cocktail listening cocktail mix with out being too strong. -Paul

Christmas in the city book cover
Christmas in the city book cover

Christmas in the city

Lea Michele

COMPACT DISC CR Michele Christmas M42
Popular, Vocal, Covers

The "city" in this case is of course New York City, the setting of ever so many holiday song snapshots. Lea Michele of Glee fame, through familiar mid-20th century holiday song traditions, attempts to capture some of that spirit on her first Christmas album, delivering each song and their arrangement with sincere gusto --Based on article from allmusic.com.

Paul's picture

Residing very comfortably in the tried and true traditional seasonal "tropesphere", this release certainly adds well to the Christmas music canon populated by crooners of the 50's and 60's. What sets it apart is Lea Michelle's way of infusing each song with an inner wonder and infectious, sincere joyousness. -Paul

Celestial book cover
Celestial book cover

Celestial

Rob Halford

COMPACT DISC CR Halford Celestial L52
Metal, Rock, Covers

"Forty-some years into his life as a verified metal god, it probably seemed like as good a time as any for Rob Halford to make a Christmas album... There's an hefty dose of self-awareness and irony in Celestial, a collection of metalized Christmas carols and traditional holiday tunes, and a few Halford originals in the holiday vein."--allmusic.com.

Paul's picture

Features some pretty interesting metal interpretations of classic Christmas songs and, as one one expect, certainly with some ear catching guitar hooks and power chords. Sure to make the tinsel on your tannenbaum gleam a little brighter and louder. -Paul

Moonlight, mistletoe & you book cover
Moonlight, mistletoe & you book cover

Moonlight, mistletoe & you

Keb' Mo'

COMPACT DISC CR Keb' Moonlight C77
Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Covers

"The inherent friendliness of Moonlight, Mistletoe and You buoys the first holiday album from veteran blues singer Keb' Mo' through its periodic shifts in tone and style. Keb' Mo' has long been known for dabbling in a variety of different American roots music, so the intermingling of blues, jazz, and Tin Pan Alley pop comes as no surprise."--allmusic.com.

Paul's picture

Keb' Mo's distinctive voice really shines through with a proper amount of Christmas warmth and cheer on an album filled with very smooth, but not horribly over-produced, tracks while staying true to the various musical genre types he explores. -Paul

The secrets we kept book cover
The secrets we kept book cover

The secrets we kept

Lara Prescott

FICTION Prescott Lara
Historical Fiction, Fiction

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak's magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world--using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally's tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.

Anne M's picture

Oh, you need to read this book. Follow members of the CIA's "typing pool" picked to assist in the mission to get the novel Doctor Zhivago published and distributed in the Soviet Union. Their story is intertwined with Olga's, the mistress of Boris Pasternak, as she deals with the consequences of the novel's existence--it was not a favorite of the Kremlin, by any means. It is a page-turner. Also, you DO NOT need to read Doctor Zhivago to enjoy this book. However, it is a great read as well! -Anne M

Ask again yes : a novel book cover
Ask again yes : a novel book cover

Ask again yes : a novel

Mary Beth Keane

FICTION Keane Mary
Fiction

"A family saga about two Irish American families in a New York suburb, the love between two of their children, and the tragedies that threaten to tear them apart and destroy their futures"--

Mari's picture

A story of two families that journeys through generations. Two NYC police officers, one Irish, the other married to an Irish woman, end up living next door to each other in the suburbs. A truly terrible incident occurs which changes the lives of everyone in both families. Despite this tragedy, the families are tied together forever through an undeniable bond since childhood. I really found the realistic portrayal of characters that must deal with the effects of mental illness, alcoholism, parental abandonment and PTSD to be memorable. -Mari

Loner book cover
Loner book cover

Loner

Caroline Rose

COMPACT DISC PO Rose Loner
Alternative Rock

Paul's picture

Amazingly fresh and engaging sound with picture painting lyrics, suitable for listening while sipping vodka martinis. -Paul

Love poems : (for people with children) book cover
Love poems : (for people with children) book cover

Love poems : (for people with children)

John Kenney

811.6 /Kenney
Nonfiction, Poetry

"...John Kenney is back with a brand new collection of poems, this time taking on the greatest "joy" in life: children. Kenney covers it all, from newborns, toddlers, and sleep deprivation, to the terrible twos, terrible tweens, and terrible teens. A parent's love is unconditional, but sometimes that button can't help but be pushed. Between back to school shopping, summer vacations that never end, the awkwardness of puberty, the inevitable post-college moving back in, and more, a parent's job is never done, whether they like it or not."--Amazon.com

Melody's picture

These poems are hilarious. They will surely make parents smile--and know someone else knows their pain (and love). -Melody

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood : a visual history book cover
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood : a visual history book cover

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood : a visual history

Melissa Wagner

791.4572 /Mister
Nonfiction

"Go behind the scenes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood with this unprecedented dive into its storied history. Featuring exclusive photographs; a guide to the characters, puppets, and episodes; original interviews; and rare ephemera, this extraordinary book reveals the inner workings of the show"--

Melody's picture

Absolutely love this history of Mister Rodgers' Neighborhood. Nostalgia lovers, check this out! -Melody

Say nothing : a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland book cover
Say nothing : a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland book cover

Say nothing : a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland

Patrick Radden Keefe

941.60824 /Keefe
True Crime, History

"From award-winning New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe, a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. In December 1972, Jean McConville, a thirty-eight-year-old mother of ten, was dragged from her Belfast home by masked intruders, her children clinging to her legs. They never saw her again. Her abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as the Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the IRA was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the garments--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes. Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children but also IRA members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war but simple murders. From radical and impetuous IRA terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious IRA mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his IRA past--[this book] conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish."--Dust jacket.

Mari's picture

This is a true crime story about a mother of ten's disappearance during the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland, almost three decades in of turmoil between Catholics and Protestants while the IRA recruited young people to plant bombs and carry out murders. While this mystery operates as a frame work, I would say it's more of a modern telling of the history of violence, albeit a chilling nonfiction narrative. There were almost too many characters to keep track of, but I found the story of Dolours Price and her sister Marian to be fascinating. Both were arrested for the car bombing of the Old Bailey in London in the 70's and spent years in prison on hunger strike until they were allowed to finish their prison sentence in Northern Ireland. This story makes you question if there is a difference between political violence and crime. -Mari

Even monsters go to school book cover
Even monsters go to school book cover

Even monsters go to school

Lisa Wheeler

jE Wheeler
Picture Books

"A grown-up monster describes in rhyming verse how monsters of all types go to school, and so must this child monster, no matter how glum about the prospect."--

Mari's picture

I happened upon this book on the bookmobile, and realized it's a sequel to "Even Monsters Need to Sleep" which is also very good. Lisa Wheeler has taken all of the classic pop culture monsters, such as Bigfoot, (the monster of) Frankenstein, the Loch Ness Monster and put them in the universal childhood experience of the first day of school. Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of the Mercy Watson series and one of my all-time faves, fills the pages with bright, bold clear images and clever and subtle bits of humor. And on top it all it rhymes! -Mari

Once upon a goat book cover
Once upon a goat book cover

Once upon a goat

Dan Richards

jE Richards
Picture Books

When a proper king and queen ask their fairy godmother for a child, they find themselves gifted instead with a baby goat.

Mari's picture

This book is both cute and funny! Goats are my favorite animal so I found the illustration of a baby goat, also called a "kid" but not be mistaken with a "child" adorable, and I definitely LOLed at the twist. I also really enjoyed the title page with a cut-out goat bite! -Mari

Wayward son book cover
Wayward son book cover

Wayward son

Rainbow Rowell

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Rowell Rainbow
Young Adult

"Simon Snow is back and he's coming to America! The story is supposed to be over. Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after... So why can't Simon Snow get off the couch? What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light... That's how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West. They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place... With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It's another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter. Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero's journey might be over--but your life has just begun"--

Brian's picture

Rainbow does it again! I know of no other author with such a knack for writing and creating characters to absolutely fall in love with (SHEPARD <3 <3 <3). If you liked "Carry On," you're going to like this--no doubt about it. It ends on a cliffhanger (curses!), but Rainbow has already announced a follow up: "Any Way the Wind Blows." I can't wait! -Brian

Feminist cross-stitch : 40 bold & fierce patterns book cover
Feminist cross-stitch : 40 bold & fierce patterns book cover

Feminist cross-stitch : 40 bold & fierce patterns

Stephanie Rohr

746.443 /Rohr
Crafts

Make a statement and smash the patriarchy, one stitch at a time with these 40 feminist-themed cross-stitching patterns!

Beth's picture

Good introduction to cross stitch for beginners, with lots of easy patterns. The Rosie The Riveter will give you something to shoot for! -Beth

Circe : a novel book cover
Circe : a novel book cover

Circe : a novel

Madeline Miller

FICTION Miller Madeline
Fiction

Follows Circe, the banished witch daughter of Helios, as she hones her powers and interacts with famous mythological beings before a conflict with one of the most vengeful Olympians forces her to choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals.

Becky's picture

A great read for those who enjoy Greek mythology, complex heroines, magic, and adventure! Miller is an intelligent and skillful writer, which made the telling of "Circe" an enjoyable and engaging tale for me! -Becky

DIY for dog lovers : 36 paw-some canine crafts book cover
DIY for dog lovers : 36 paw-some canine crafts book cover

DIY for dog lovers : 36 paw-some canine crafts

Kat Roberts

745.5 /Roberts
Crafts

From a cute Pomeranian mug to a bone-shaped welcome mat, this companion to Crafting for Cat Ladies features 36 charming projects for dog lovers and their four-legged friends. There are irresistibly adorable items to decorate your home, accessorize your outfits, entertain guests, and (of course) pamper your pooch. And they're all easy to make, thanks to plenty of step-by-step photos, templates, and beginner-friendly crafting techniques. Bring whimsy to your wardrobe with Dalmatian-print trousers, customize a leash and collar for your cherished pup, design a dachshund shopping bag, create sweet "paw-ty" favors, and so much more! --Publisher

Beth's picture

Simple fun dog-ish crafts for all ages (with a little help). -Beth

A manual for cleaning women : selected stories book cover
A manual for cleaning women : selected stories book cover

A manual for cleaning women : selected stories

Lucia Berlin

FICTION Berlin Lucia
Short Story

"Stories from a lost American classic "in the same arena as Alice Munro" (Lydia Davis) "In the field of short fiction, Lucia Berlin is one of America's best kept secrets. That's it. Flat out. No mitigating conditions." --Paul Metcalf A Manual for Cleaning Women compiles the best work of the legendary short-story writer Lucia Berlin. With her trademark blend of humor and melancholy, Berlin crafts miracles from the everyday--uncovering moments of grace in the cafeterias and Laundromats of the American Southwest, in the homes of the Northern California upper classes, and from the perspective of a cleaning woman alone in a hotel dining room in Mexico City. The women of Berlin's stories are lost, but they are also strong, clever, and extraordinarily real. They are hitchhikers, hard workers, bad Christians. With the wit of Lorrie Moore and the grit of Raymond Carver, they navigate a world of jockeys, doctors, and switchboard operators. They laugh, they mourn, they drink. Berlin, a highly influential writer despite having published little in her lifetime, conjures these women from California, Mexico, and beyond. Lovers of the short story will not want to miss this remarkable collection from a master of the form"--

Mari's picture

Lately I've been enjoying collections of short stories. Lucia Berlin's stories are about many characters, but all are semi-autobiographical. And though most stories seem to be about ordinary events in ordinary towns with ordinary people, all contain extraordinary insights into the human condition. -Mari

Red at the bone book cover
Red at the bone book cover

Red at the bone

Jacqueline Woodson

FICTION Woodson, Jacqueline
Fiction

"Two familes from different social classes are joined together by an unexpected pregnancy and the child that it produces. As the book opens in 2001, it is the evening of sixteen-year-old Melody's coming of age ceremony in her grandparents' Brooklyn brownstone. Watched lovingly by her relatives and friends, making her entrance to the music of Prince, she wears a special custom-made dress. But the event is not without poignancy. Sixteen years earlier, that very dress was measured and sewn for a different wearer: Melody's mother, for her own ceremony-- a celebration that ultimately never took place"--Adapted from jacket.

Becky's picture

Jacqueline Woodson writes in such a beautiful, poetic narrative. Red at the Bone is a story about choices and consequences. It examines how individuals within two families view and handle the circumstances that they are dealt by weaving together fragmented memories and moments experienced by these individuals. -Becky

Grace : the Jeff Buckley story book cover
Grace : the Jeff Buckley story book cover

Grace : the Jeff Buckley story

Tiffanie DeBartolo

781.66092 /Buckley
Nonfiction, Biographies

"California, 1991. All his life, people have told Jeff Buckley how much he looks like his father, the famous '60s folksinger he barely knew. But Jeff believes he has gifts of his own: a rare, octave-spanning voice and a songwriting genius that has only started to show itself. After he falls in love with a mysterious girl in New York, he sets out to make a name for himself outside his father's shadow. What follows are six turbulent years of music, heartbreak, hope, and daring--culminating in a tragedy that's still reverberating in the music world today. Written by Tiffanie DeBartolo and with art by Pascal Dizin and Lisa Reist, this graphic novel biography uses archival material provided by Jeff's mother, Mary Guibert, to reveal the young songwriter in the process of becoming a legend."--Amazon.com.

Melody's picture

Jeff Buckley is the perfect subject for a graphic biography. Can't wait to read the whole thing! -Melody

The nest book cover
The nest book cover

The nest

Gregory A. Douglas

FICTION Douglas, Gregory A.
Horror

"It was just an ordinary garbage dump on peaceful Cape Cod. No one ever imagined that conditions were perfect for breeding, that it was a warm womb, fetid, moist, and with food so plentiful that everything creeping, crawling, and slithering could gorge to satiation. Then a change in poison control was made, resulting in an unforeseen mutation. Now the giant mutant cockroaches are ready to leave their nest--in search of human flesh!"-- Back cover.

Shawna's picture

Horror fans will love this gruesome book about man-eating cockroaches. I would advise NOT reading this while snacking! Originally published in 1980, now reprinted with a new introduction. -Shawna

Who wet my pants? book cover
Who wet my pants? book cover

Who wet my pants?

Bob Shea

jE Shea
Kids, Picture Books

When Reuben the bear brings doughnuts to his forest friends, they discover that his pants are wet and he angrily accuses them of the dirty deed.

Angie's picture

Try not to wet your pants as you make your way through this hilarious take on a common childhood mishap. Reuben the bear has a problem. His pants are wet. In, you know, the front and center zone. Reuben is seemingly dumbfounded. Who wet his pants? Let the wild accusations begin. Reuben throws everyone under the bus before coming to terms with the true identity of the culprit. Who Wet My Pants? is a book for us all. It’s sure to be one of the funniest of 2019. -Angie

Shrill Dusk book cover
Shrill Dusk book cover

Shrill Dusk

Harper, Helen

eAUDIO
Fiction, Fantasy

Charley is a cleaner by day and a professional gambler by night. She might be haunted by her tragic past but she's never thought of herself as anything or anyone special. Until, that is, things start to go terribly wrong all across the city of Manchester. Between plagues of rats, firestorms and the gleaming blue eyes of a sexy Scottish werewolf, she might just have landed herself in the middle of a magical apocalypse. She might also be the only person who has the ability to bring order to an utterly chaotic new world

Melody's picture

I was thrilled to see another Helen Harper audiobook on Libby. I love that our heroine for the series is a gambler, which means she is going to take calculated risks. This is Book 1 of the City of Magic series. The setting is an apocalyptic Manchester--think: rats, plagues, storms. The series is a spin-off of the Fractured Faery series from 2018. I recommend them both! -Melody

M is for monster : a fantastic creatures alphabet book cover
M is for monster : a fantastic creatures alphabet book cover

M is for monster : a fantastic creatures alphabet

J. Patrick Lewis

jE Lewis
Picture Books

An alphabetical examination of creatures of popular legend is presented by an award-winning children's book author and former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate.

Melody's picture

We're ready for October at our house! We would have read this monster book even if it were Valentines Day. It was fun learning about new mythical creatures for each letter of the alphabet. My favorite is H is for Hippogriff! Little kids can learn about new monsters. Older kids can dive deeper with the context next to each mini-poem. Did you know Hippogriffs are really fast and can fly around the world? I didn't! -Melody

Bring your brain to work : using cognitive science to get a job, do it well, and advance your career book cover
Bring your brain to work : using cognitive science to get a job, do it well, and advance your career book cover

Bring your brain to work : using cognitive science to get a job, do it well, and advance your career

Arthur B. Markman

650.1 /Markman
Nonfiction, Business

Few people really understand their own minds or the minds of others. Over the past decade, there has been increasing attention to what psychology can teach us about work. Research has focused on improving decision-making practices, influencing colleagues, and effective thinking. The problem is, general-interest books on these topics typically include only a smattering of business and career examples, tantalizing readers without providing real, constructive help. Bring Your Brain to Work changes all that, bringing current cognitive science insight to specific workplace challenges. The book focuses on three elements of success: getting a job, excelling at work, and finding your next position. Professor, author, and popular radio host Art Markman expertly illustrates how cognitive science brings important perspective and insight to each of these elements. Integrating the latest research with engaging stories and examples from across the professional spectrum, Bring Your Brain to Work will help readers understand themselves and the people around them, providing evidence-based insight and advice on three crucial aspects of success--

Melody's picture

Lately I have been enjoying books about professional development and improvement. This one has very practical advice about managing your work and time. It reads quickly and doesn't feel like a slog to get through. -Melody

The testaments book cover
The testaments book cover

The testaments

Margaret Atwood

SCIENCE FICTION Atwood Margaret
Dystopian

The theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets. Each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes. -- adapted from jacket

Becky's picture

I would recommend The Testaments to all fans of Atwood's 1986 work, The Handmaid's Tale, and/or to all those who have enjoyed the Hulu original series. As a sequel to the original work, I think it is important to have read (or at least watched) The Handmaid's Tale in order to fully appreciate and understand the testimonies given about the world of Gilead in this latest work. This story is narrated by three individuals with very different perspectives and experiences in/surrounding Gilead, fifteen years after the original story takes place. Another great work by Atwood! -Becky

Freedom fire book cover
Freedom fire book cover

Freedom fire

Daniel José Older

jFICTION Older Daniel
Kids, Fiction, Fantasy, Early Chapter Books

Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are heading southwest on the back of Stella, the giant pteranodon, to find Montez, her brother, wounded during the siege of Vicksburg; now they are heading into the heart of the fighting, depending on Magdalys' ability to communicate telepathically with dinosaurs--but one of the companions is not quite what she seems, and Magdalys's talent could make her a target for both sides.

Angie's picture

Fans of the acclaimed first Dactyl Hill chapter book will rejoice for the thrilling second book in the series! Background notes elaborate on the story’s elements. Intelligent, rousing, and abundantly diverse, this is every bit as satisfying as the first installment. Ages 8–12. -Angie

The death of Mrs. Westaway book cover
The death of Mrs. Westaway book cover

The death of Mrs. Westaway

Ruth Ware

FICTION Ware Ruth
Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

"On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person--but also that the cold-reading skills she's honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased...where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it."--

Becky's picture

I ended up listening to the audio book version of this story (read brilliantly by Imogen Church) and had a hard time setting it aside! Ruth Ware does a fantastic job with pulling in mysterious and suspenseful elements, leaving you anxious to fit together the clues and themes that are woven in throughout the narrative. The Death of Mrs. Westaway was such an engaging story and I would highly recommend the audio book version (available through the Libby App). -Becky

Recursion : a novel book cover
Recursion : a novel book cover

Recursion : a novel

Blake Crouch

FICTION Crouch Blake
Science Fiction

New York City cop Barry Sutton investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome-- a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. Neuroscientist Helena Smith dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious moments of our pasts. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent. Together they face a force that attacks not just our minds but the very fabric of the past. Memory makes reality-- and the force is beginning to unmake the world as we know it. -- adapted from jacket

Brian's picture

I devoured this book. The jacket copy doesn't do it justice, but I don't want to spoil the story! I'll say this: Blake Crouch writes AMAZING Sci-Fi thrillers. Think Michael Crichton but way better. If you like this, read "Dark Matter" afterwards. -Brian

The bookshop book cover
The bookshop book cover

The bookshop

Penelope Fitzgerald

FICTION Fitzgerald, Penelope
Fiction, Literary Fiction

In 1959 Florence Green, a kindhearted widow with a small inheritance, risks everything to open a bookshop the only bookshop in the seaside town of Hardborough. By making a success of a business so impractical, she invites the hostility of the town's less prosperous shopkeepers. By daring to enlarge her neighbors lives, she crosses Mrs. Gamart, the local arts doyenne. Florence s warehouse leaks, her cellar seeps, and the shop is apparently haunted. Only too late does she begin to suspect the truth: a town that lacks a bookshop isn t always a town that wants one.

Anne M's picture

Need a book to put you in the mood for Fall? The Bookshop is a biting, moody little book that takes on the attitudes of the provincial residents of a British coastal town. It is a sad book, but it is also a funny book. And it is a book about books. -Anne M

This poison will remain book cover
This poison will remain book cover

This poison will remain

Fred Vargas

MYSTERY Vargas Fred
Mystery

"A murder in Paris brings Commissaire Adamsberg out of the Icelandic mists of his previous investigation and unexpectedly into the region of Nîmes, where three old men have died of spider bites. The recluse has a sneaky attack, but is that enough to explain the deaths of these men, all killed by the same venom?At the National Museum of Natural History, Adamsberg meets a pensioner who tells him that two of the three octogenarians have known each other since childhood, when they lived in a local orphanage called The Mercy. There, they had belonged to a small group of violent young boys known as the "band of recluses." Adamsberg faces two obstacles: the third man killed by the same venom was not part of the "band of recluses," and the amount of spider venom necessary to kill doesn't add up.Yet after the Nîmes deaths, more members of the old band succumb to recluse bites, leading the commissaire to uncover the tragedy hidden behind the walls of the orphanage."--Publisher description.

Jason's picture

The latest in her French mystery series starring the enigmatic Commissaire Adamsberg and his odd cast of coworkers. This series is fairly slow paced, it's more about the charming characters and setting. "This Poison Will Remain" has some smaller cases being solved around a larger story of older people dying as a result of venom from recluse spider bites. There are some call backs to previous books in the series though I think you could start here without too much worry. -Jason

The book woman of Troublesome Creek book cover
The book woman of Troublesome Creek book cover

The book woman of Troublesome Creek

Kim Michele Richardson

FICTION Richards Kim
Historical Fiction

1936. Tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. She joins Roosevelt's Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a traveling librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky. Along her route, Cussy faces doubters at every turn, but is determined to bring the joy of books to the hardscrabble Kentuckians. -- adapted from back cover

Mari's picture

I was surprised no one on staff had recommended this already! Set during the Great Depression, Cussy Mary is last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry, and is treated as an outcast. She joins the Roosevelt's Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a traveling librarian, riding her Mule in the mountains to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Troublesome Creek. I loved the historical components of the story, it gives you a real insight of the devastating poverty of the people living in Appalachia. -Mari

Hello stranger book cover
Hello stranger book cover

Hello stranger

Lisa Kleypas

eAUDIO
Romance, Fiction

Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring and independent as any man--why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a former detective for Scotland Yard, is as gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent attraction before becoming strangers again. As a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett. Despite their vow to resist each other after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of Garrett's skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he's ever known.

Melody's picture

I never would have picked this book based on it's cover. The heroine is wearing a ball gown--how can she kick butt in that?!? BUT, I found the story and plot so very engaging. Perfect combo of intelligent and capable female lead and mysterious secret agent with a swarthy past. And there are even Hamlet references. I listened to the audiobook version and highly recommend it if you are looking to try something new. -Melody

5 ingredients : quick & easy food book cover
5 ingredients : quick & easy food book cover

5 ingredients : quick & easy food

Jamie Oliver

641.555 /Oliver
Cookbooks

Features 130 recipes focusing on creating incredible combinations of just five ingredients for maximum flavor with minimum fuss.

Anne M's picture

Not much time to cook, but still enjoy putting together pretty delicious meals? Look no further than "5 ingredients." Most recipes take 30 minutes or less. And they are far from complicated. Five ingredients means less chopping and less chopping means more time for whatever else you need to do. -Anne M

Furious hours : murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee book cover
Furious hours : murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee book cover

Furious hours : murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee

Casey N. Cep

364.15232 /Cep
True Crime, Biographies

"'A triumph on every level. One of the losses to literature is that Harper Lee never found a way to tell a gothic true-crime story she'd spent years researching. Casey Cep has excavated this mesmerizing story and tells it with grace and insight and a fierce fidelity to the truth.'--David Grann, best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon The stunning story of an Alabama serial killer and the true-crime book that Harper Lee worked on obsessively in the years after To Kill a Mockingbird. Reverend Willie Maxwell was a rural preacher accused of murdering five of his family members for insurance money in the 1970s. With the help of a savvy lawyer, he escaped justice for years until a relative shot him dead at the funeral of his last victim. Despite hundreds of witnesses, Maxwell's murderer was acquitted--thanks to the same attorney who had previously defended the Reverend. Sitting in the audience during the vigilante's trial was Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City to her native Alabama with the idea of writing her own In Cold Blood, the true-crime classic she had helped her friend Truman Capote research seventeen years earlier. Lee spent a year in town reporting, and many more working on her own version of the case. Now Casey Cep brings this nearly inconceivable story to life, from the shocking murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South. At the same time, she offers a deeply moving portrait of one of the country's most beloved writers and her struggle with fame, success, and the mystery of artistic creativity"--

Mari's picture

"Furious Hours" is the story of a true crime in 1970s Alabama as well as the story of famous writer Harper Lee. Written in three parts, this book details the strange story of a "Voodoo Preacher" who claimed the insurance policies after several sketchy deaths of family members, the larger than life lawyer that defended him, and ironically his killer after he is publicly killed at a funeral, and Harper Lee, who followed the case, but never wrote about it. I most thoroughly enjoyed the section about Harper Lee, but found all of it to be both intriguing and well-documented! -Mari

The seven or eight deaths of Stella Fortuna : a novel book cover
The seven or eight deaths of Stella Fortuna : a novel book cover

The seven or eight deaths of Stella Fortuna : a novel

Juliet Grames

FICTION Grames Juliet
Literary Fiction

Death has always been a part of Stella Fortuna life. Ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. In her Italian village, Stella is considered an oddity-- beautiful and smart, insolent and cold. She uses her peculiar toughness to protect her slower, plainer baby sister Tina from life's harshest realities. Her father Antonio is a man who demands subservience from women and whose greatest gift to his family is his absence. When the Fortunas emigrate to America on the cusp of World War II, Stella learns that her survival is worthless without the one thing her family will deny her at any cost: her independence. -- adapted from jacket

Mari's picture

Mariastella Fortuna's story is told as memoir written by a descendant in the family, from her early life of poverty in an Italian village to her family's immigrant experience adjusting to American life in the 1940's. The title refers to a family curse that leads to several brushes with death over her lifespan, but the story is much more about Stella's complicated relationships with family members and how she is forced into roles of wife and mother. -Mari

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