Sometimes, you don’t know what you want to read, but you know that you want something good. That’s where our staff picks come in! These titles were all selected and enjoyed by librarians and other staff across the library So, you can think of all these books having the gold seal of approval from one of us! If you like what you see here, consider checking out our previous selection of staff picks!
Nancy (Youth Services) recommends: Majesty by Katharine McGee
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Nancy says: Is America really ready for its first queen? As Beatrice tries to adjust to her new life as queen, she is torn between her love for her former bodyguard and the new reality of marrying a royal, Teddy. She has many adversaries to contend with but, luckily reigns with support of her mother, brother and sister. This novel is full of drama, true love, and a dangerous secret!
If you’d like to start the series from the start, then try American Royals.
Frances (Adult Services) recommends: The Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender
Category: Adult Fiction
On the night her mother is taken to the mental hospital following a psychotic episode, Francie is staying with her babysitter before going to LA to live with family. A beautiful lamp covered in butterflies sits next to her bed, and when she wakes in the morning, Francie sees that there is a dead butterfly (matching the ones on the lampshade) floating in her glass of water. She drinks it before her babysitter can see. But, this is not the only time this happens. As the years pass, these strange occurrences plague Francie. A bundle of flowers appear from a patterned curtain, a dead beetle from a school paper. She is positive that these things are more than just illusion, but what does it all mean?
Guy (Administration) recommends: Blue Blood by Edward Conlon
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Guy says: Edward Conlon was a NYPD officer for 16 years, retiring as a detective. He graduated from Harvard, which makes him quite unique in the police world. His memoir Blue Blood was a best seller in 2004. He worked narcotics and just makes the streets come alive. He has written a couple fictional books about policing as well. His latest The Policewomen’s Bureau was published last year and is based on the actual story of a 1950s female NYPDer. He also wrote a column for the New Yorker for 3 years entitled “A Cop’s Diary” He wrote it under a pen name (yet with the department’s approval). And now, he is a civilian employee of the NYPD, working in the commissioner’s office.
Andrew (Administration) recommends: Barnstorming Ohio to Understand America by David Giffels
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Giffels’ book is a lyrical and fascinating look at Ohio, taking readers across the state, from Cleveland to Cincinnati, Youngstown to Hicksville and everywhere in between. From displaced workers laid off at the General Motors plant, to soybean farmers, indie rock festivals, dormant shopping malls, and the craft beer industry. From commerce to politics, this book tackles a little bit of everything, and is well-worth the read!
Andrew says: David Giffels Barnstorming is an excellent book that takes the reader on journey around the state of Ohio.
Kim (Circulation) recommends: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Category: Adult Fiction
This new adaptation of Jane Eyre puts a more modern twist on the classic tale. Newly arrived from Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates. Her clients are so rich, they don’t notice if Jane takes a few discarded tchotchkes and jewelry with her when she leaves. And no one would even think to ask if that’s her real name. Everything changes when Jane meets Eddie Rochester. He’s a widower whose wife drowned in a boating accident, her body never recovered. Eddie is everything that Jane could possibly want–he’s rich, brooding, and handsome, but as she starts to fall for him, it seems that the memory of his late wife, Bea is haunting their relationship. Can Jane win Eddie’s heart before her past (or his) catches up to her?
Kim says: I just finished The Wife Upstairs, my first by this author–ironically this book is her first venture into adult fiction; she is a well known YA author and writes romance novels under a pen name. Loved this one, set in the deep south, lots of twists and turns, can’t-put-down type of book (for me anyway)!
