Welcome back to another round of staff picks! If you like what you see, check out Part 14 here.
Joanne (Adult Services) recommends: I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman
Category: Adult Fiction
Joanne says: Waxman’s fourth title is another winner in a series of humorous women’s fiction chronicling everyday life. This story follows a successful attorney and her teenage daughter on an organized East Coast college tour. Jessica is a single mom dealing with some drama at her law firm and Emily is a sophomore also trying to manage a potentially hazardous situation at school. Each has her own expectations for what the trip might accomplish and along the way new friendships are forged and existing relationships are strengthened. Emily is able to see her mother in a new light and Jessica is reassured that she’s not been a bad mother after all. Each of Waxman’s books is a stand-alone though they’re all set in Los Angeles and readers will recognize some character overlap.
Guy (Administration) recommends: Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Category: Adult Fiction
The chilling thriller is the first in the Hannibal Lecter series (and prequel to Silence of the Lambs). Will Graham is trying to discover the identity of a dangerous killer. But, to do so, he’ll have to rely on an even more dangerous mental patient, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who is serving a life sentence for murder and cannibalism.
Guy says: Thomas Harris is not a prolific writer at all and he mostly shuns publicity. That being said, one of my high school teachers suggested that I would like Red Dragon. He was right. Silence of the Lambs is also very good.
Nancy (Youth Services) recommends: Start Here by Trish Doller
Category: YA Fiction
Nancy says: It’s senior year and Finley has made a graduation plan for her and her two best friends, Willa and Taylor. They were to sail in an old 25 foot sailboat from Sandusky, Ohio to Key West, Florida. However, when Finley dies just before graduation, her wish is for Willa and Taylor to hopefully take the trip without her. Finley provides them with a list of clues and points of interest along the way and the hope that the trip will change their lives. This is a story about 3 friends and their challenges, loss, and an unsuspecting epic adventure!
Cathy (Youth Services) recommends: King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
Category: Juvenile Fiction
Cathy says: Kingston “King” James, a black boy living in the Louisiana bayou, unexpectedly loses his brother Khalid, but isn’t convinced that he’s actually gone. In fact, he has reason to suspect that his brother is a dragonfly now. It’s this idea that gets him through his family’s uncomfortable silences at mealtimes and helps him when his friend Jasmine wonders why he doesn’t hang out with their mutual friend Sandy Sanders anymore. When Sandy disappears and King is the last person to have seen him, he knows it’s time to face some tough questions he has been avoiding. Is Sandy gay? Might King be gay, too? Is Khalid really a dragonfly? This is a beautifully told story with many wonderful discussion points for both young readers and adults, alike. In addition to being a tale of a boy discovering his truth, there are also examinations of sexuality, grief, race, abuse, and power. Read this book – You won’t be sorry!
Erin (Adult Services) recommends: Your Turn, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand
Category: Adult Mystery
Erin says: Casey Lee is an American pilot hired to do a stunt flight from Japan to America as advertising for a cigarette company. But, when his employer leaves him high and dry in Tokyo, Casey ends up taking a job from the mysterious Mr. Moto–to fly a plane from Japan to America, but for his company instead. It sounds too good to be true, and soon Casey finds himself in over his head in a bloody intrigue between several world powers. If you’re interested in international espionage tales, than be sure to add this one to your list! This gripping novel is a real page turner that will leave you wondering what is going to happen (and who to trust!) until the very end.
