- Alison Quill, Circulation
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides: Any fictional story that takes place in England (specifically the academic setting of Cambridge) piques my interest. I finished this book in 2 days because the buildup had me eagerly wanting to see how it ended.
Book | Large Print | CD Audiobook | eBook | eAudio
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand: This is the second Hilderbrand book I’ve read and like the other one, it did not disappoint! Hilderbrand’s writing has such a captivating way about it and really draws you in. This story was amazing and really different from anything else I’ve read.
Book | Large Print | CD Audiobook | eBook | eAudio
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks: This wasn’t the best Sparks book I’ve read, but if you’re looking for a quick romance read, this one is solid and the ending is still heartwarming.
Book | Large Print | CD Audiobook | eBook | eAudio
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney: The first ¾ of this book was incredible. The cast of characters, the mystery, and especially the setting, really intrigued me. One of my top “unreliable narrator” type books.
Sex and the City (the series): Though I was born the year the series premiered, I got around to watching it and I’m hooked! One of those shows that I’m shamelessly binge watching. I got through all of season 1 on a Sunday.
- Barbara Kampas, Reference
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten: I listened to the audiobook version of this title, read by the author. Gerten recounts a difficult childhood, the meeting of the love of her life in college, their resulting marriage, jobs in Washington, DC and her learning to professionally do what one loves. According to Garten, if one does such, you can become proficient in necessary skills allowing one to share such skills with others. Garten’s love of food preparation and sharing her creations with others helped her deal with some difficult times in her life as well as learning to accept life as it comes and share joy with others as well.
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook | CD Audiobook
Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. I read the facsimile version of this title that was originally published in 1947 to coincide with the release of the film with the same title. The book recounts the story of Santa Claus when a department store rivalry between Macy’s and Gimbels develops as to the validity of the Santa Claus figure appearing in both stores. Along with this conflict is a young girl’s awakening to the real meaning of the holiday season as she tries to counter her Mother’s negative beliefs about Santa Claus. This title is the December read for my Book Club that has been together for many years.
The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, translated by Ted Goossen. This is a short, illustrated novel in which a lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep are imprisoned in a labyrinth beneath a strange library. The story details their plans to escape through the library.
- Christian Kelly, Circulation
The Ministry of Fear by Fritz Lang: It was recently the late director Fritz Lang’s Birthday December 5th. I was re-watching some of his films to celebrate the occasion. The first film of his I had ever seen was “Ministry of Fear”. A WWII spy thrillerrevolving around a recently released sanitarium patient played by Ray Milland who inadvertently stumbles into a nazi spy ring. The film does a lot to convey a sense of paranoia. With each new thing the audience learns about the plot and the players involved, the more the audience wonders.
Diary of a Lost Girl by F.W. Pabst: Thymian, a young woman played by Loiuse Brooks who becomes wayward in life after she gets taken advantage of. The circumstances presented in the film are presented with such stark frankness that I find myself believing everything I see. Which makes it all the more remarkable seeing the way in which this young woman comes out of everything by the end of the film.
- Marita Klements, Assistant Director
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North: Henry August cannot die. Rather, he cannot stay dead. When he dies he is reborn; always at the same time, in the same place, and by the time he is 4 years old he has completely remembered every life he has lived before. This twisty sci-fi thriller has to be read to be believed.
Book | eBook | eAudiobook
The City in Glass by Nghi Vo: I’ve probably read more books by Nghi Vo than by any other author this year, and each one leaves me wanting more. The City in Glass is the tale of a city, the demon who protects it, and the angel who loves her. It is delightfully weird.
- Natalie Lilley, Circulation
100 Classic Christmas Songs, Christmas Hits, Christmas Music: For the Nostalgic Patrons or to discover Holiday songs from the 50s and 60s.
- Pat Kelly, Reference
Pitch Dark: The newest entry in the Mike Bowditch mystery series doesn’t disappoint! In “Pitch Dark,” author Paul Doiron uses plot twists and the foreboding North Maine Woods setting to deliver an action-packed mystery with a stunning conclusion.
Book | Large Print | eBook
- Spencer Stevens, Cataloging and Technical Services
Tokyo Godfathers: My brother showed me this remarkable anime movie last year, and I knew it would be required viewing for me each holiday season. Three homeless Tokyo residents–a middle-aged man, a transgender woman, and a runaway teenage girl–find an abandoned baby in a garbage heap on Christmas Eve. What follows is a heartwarming, intense, emotional adventure.