By Samantha Totman, Senior Circulation Librarian
Colder weather has arrived, which means we’re settling down for some cozy reading time! See our librarians’ latest favorites below, or stop by the Library and look for the green Staff Picks labels.
Barbara, Reference
Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline
Book | Large Print | eBook | CD Audiobook | eAudiobook
I listened to the audiobook version of this title, read by Edoardo Ballerini. My family history includes relatives from Sicily so a novel about the origins of the Sicilian mafia intrigued me. Initially the book is about the kidnapping of a young boy and the lawyer who tries to locate him. Overlying the search is the island’s class structure, preventing some from achieving personal goals, who then choose to retaliate against that structure.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Book | Large Print | eBook | CD Audiobook | eAudiobook
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel read by Dominic Hoffman. Opening with the discovery of a skeleton at the bottom of a well, the novel intertwines the stories of the Black and Jewish residents of Chicken Hill, one of the poorer neighborhoods of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The grocery store is a gathering point for these individuals until a tragedy occurs, tearing the neighborhood apart and impacting the life of a young, deaf Black child.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook
Winner of the 2023 Pulitizer Prize for fiction, Trust, is a multi-layered novel, providing different perspectives about power – who has it, how to get it and how to maintain such – all of which aim to determine the truth about one family and their wealth. A fascinating and challenging read enjoyed by all the members of my book club.
Victory City by Salman Rushdie
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook
Another book club read, the novel begins with women sacrificing themselves after the deaths of their husbands and sons in battle – they walk directly into a fire. One child, who witnessed the death of her mother, decides to never sacrifice herself in such a manner. The goddess Pampa takes possession of the girl after which she becomes part woman and part goddess, who then creates an empire in Southern India.
Joan, Youth Services
The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan
Book | Large Print | eBook
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Barnes (4th in The Inheritance Games series)
Book | eBook
Marita, Assistant Director
Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and Reconciliation by Maud Newton
Book | eBook
I read this for the Book Lover’s non-fiction book group this November. I enjoyed it a lot, although I have some quibbles with the author’s thoughts about the veneration of ancestors. You can join our discussion of Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age on December 21st.
The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard
Book
I listened to this audiobook which was a recommendation from one of the members of the Book Lovers. I’ve enjoyed Mary Beards’ books before, and I always love reading about archaeology.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume 1 by Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill, Ben Dimagmaliw, Bill Oakley
Book | eBook
I’ve been meaning to read this graphic novel for years, and I’m so glad I finally got to it. Most of the characters are originally from Victorian era fiction, and I spent a lot of time while reading this going on deep dives into wikipedia trying to figure out who they are. I’ll definitely be reading more in this series.
Mary, Circulation
Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook
Rachel, Reference
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook
Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Book | Large Print | eBook | eAudiobook
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Book | Large Print | eBook | CD Audiobook | eAudiobook
Samantha, Circulation
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio
Book | eBook | eAudiobook
Sarah, Administrative Assistant
What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
Book | eBook | eAudiobook
A chilling reimagining of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher that takes fungus (and bunnies) to a horrifying new level.
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Book | eBook
Demonic possession or adolescent trauma? Who’s really the victim in this Beverly-based horror novel?
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Book
Imagine you inherit a grand old house that has life-size, free-standing wooden portraits of everyone in the family. Now imagine they want to kill.
Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel
Book
Can you ever really escape a cult? What do you do when they find you again?
Spencer, Head of Technical Services
The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin
Book
I’m working my way through Ursula Le Guin’s bibliography, and this science fiction/fantasy short story collection enraptured me from start to finish. While the entire collection was phenomenal, the final story, “Paradises Lost,” stayed with me the most. Set about halfway into a generation ship’s 200-year journey to a new world, “Paradises Lost” mainly follows two childhood friends, Hsing and Luis, throughout the course of their lives. The friends grapple with typical trials of adolescence while also struggling with the reality that one day they must leave their comfortable home on the ship and learn to survive on an unknown planet. This was a wonderful, poignant speculative read.