Every time I read a new book, I ask myself whether it will make the annual Staff Favorites booklets I put together at the end of the year. The newest gem I just finished will definitely make the cut. Early Morning Riser’s charming story is driven by its multiple quirky characters. The cheerful protagonist, Jane,…
“How is it possible to become free when you do not even know who you are?”--Libertie Sampson Freedom is a theme woven throughout Kaitlyn Greenidge’s excellent new novel set during and after the Civil War. What does it mean to be free, when you must face other people’s expectations, racism and sexism? Libertie’s father was…
In the library world, every season has a hot book, the one with a gazillion holds. This spring’s buzzy title is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, about a family trying to survive the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s. This topic was expertly taken on in 1939 by John Steinbeck’s epic The…
After rereading Paulette Jiles’ outstanding News of the World for the library’s morning book club, I was reminded of how much I enjoy books set in the Old West, especially if they have unusual twists. When I heard about a new novel described as a feminist western, I knew I had to read it. I…
Last week I examined fiction that received the most love in 2020 from book reviewers. Today I will look at nonfiction. I compiled 36 notable lists with more than 500 books, including our own favorites from the Cook Memorial Public Library District staffers. Thirty-eight books, from social commentary and history to nature and humor, rose…
What would we have done this year without books? The Covid-19 pandemic shut down life for a lot of people, keeping us holed up in our homes. I found there was no better way to leave my boring living room than with a lively book transporting me to another time and world. With the pandemic still raging, we will need…
As long-suffering Game of Thrones readers know, sometimes the wait is excruciating for the next book in a series. I saw a recent post from GOT author George R.R. Martin that he was holed up in his isolated mountain cabin writing the sixth book, The Winds of Winter. Martin, 71, also plans to write a…
Sometimes I hear people remark that they wish they were living in a simpler, kinder time, like the 1950s. Connie Schultz’s debut novel, The Daughters of Erietown, reminds readers that those days weren’t always so happy and innocent. This family saga centers on the McGinty family and how their lives evolve while living in Erietown,…
The intertwined relationships of a slave girl, her mother, and a plantation owner’s daughter are at the heart of this transporting debut novel. Conjure Women by Afia Atakora alternates between Slaverytime in 1854 and Freedomtime in 1867. In Slaverytime, May Belle is a midwife and healer among the plantation’s slaves, but also is known for…
Did you know that newly released books, including ebooks, come out on Tuesdays? Every Tuesday morning I order the new fiction ebooks for Cook Memorial Public Library District’s Overdrive (Libby) and Cloud Library services. If you are an ebook user, you've probably noticed that the new titles often are quickly checked out. So if you…
