If you’re looking for something new to read, but aren’t sure what you want, consider checking out one of our staff pick selections! These were chosen by staff across the library, and make for some excellent reading! If you like what you see and want more, why not check out part 10?
Cathy (Youth Services) recommends: Finding Orion by John David Anderson
Category: Juvenile Fiction
Cathy says: This is the story of a very unique family that goes on a quest to fulfill a grandfather’s last wishes. Along the way, they discover that quirky isn’t necessarily a bad thing to be. From fried chicken-flavored jelly beans to a whacky funneral (and, yes, that’s the correct spelling!) to a crazy scavenger hunt, this book has something for everyone – – and everyone is bound to enjoy it!
Andrew (Administration) recommends: Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took on Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor by Dick Lehr
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Andrew says: An excellent read that celebrates the bravery and heroics of American flyers while giving a nuanced and well researched perspective on Yamamoto, the Japanese reasons for waging war on the U.S. and the decision to target the Admiral. Particularly interesting, is the story of which pilot was credited with bringing Yamamoto down.
Jane (Technical Services) recommends: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Category: Adult Mystery
Jane says: Four residents of an upscale retirement community meet every Thursday to discuss (and try to get to the bottom of) unsolved murder cases. Led by the mysterious Elizabeth (with whom you will fall in love immediately!) the group thoroughly enjoy poring over cold cases until a real-life murder takes place in their own small village. Elizabeth and her friends – Joyce, a former nurse; Ibrahim, a psychiatrist; and Ron, a Seventies-era trade unionist well known for his rabble-rousing – put their heads together to try and beat the local police at their own game. Charming and utterly hilarious, this book made me laugh out loud. Highly recommended.
Carla (Adult Services) recommends: The Diviners by Libba Bray
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Carla say: The Diviners series by Libba Bray is young adult fiction, with four books in the series so far. The first book, The Diviners, takes us to the Jazz Age of 1920s New York, where a group of young people discover they have special powers. Some are dreamwalkers, some are psychics, some can heal, and some can start a blaze with a single touch. What does it mean that they have these powers? What does it have to do with the secret government Buffalo Project? Why are ghosts starting to haunt New York? Who is the mysterious King of Crows, and how can the Diviners possibly stop him? This series has diverse young characters of different races, religions, classes, and sexual orientations, painting a richer portrait of the past and making history more human.
Guy (Administration) recommends: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Category: Adult Science Fiction
Guy says: I read “The Andromeda Strain” in high school and it scared the xxxx out of me. [Crichton] wrote (guess what) thrillers, of which I liked Rising Sun, Disclosure, and Airframe.
The US government learns to their horror that the current practices for sterilizing space probes returning from orbit might not be sufficient after all. When a satellite falls to earth and lands somewhere in the deserts of Arizona, it soon comes to light that something came back with it, something terrible and deadly. As the inhabitants of a nearby small town begin to succumb to the contagion, will anyone be able to stop it in time?
