Though it pains me to admit it, I am not a fan of audiobooks: they take so much longer to get through than a print edition, they distract me from my driving, or I’m too distracted by other things (like driving, or my children, or cooking dinner) to pay attention to the story. But everyone…
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of literary retellings – classic stories reimagined. Sherlock Holmes is a particular favorite, though I won’t turn my nose up at Shakespeare or Jane Austen, either. That being said, the one genre I’m loath to explore is literary continuations. You know the kind: a (usually bestselling) author is…
If this cold winter is starting to feel like it was last forever, we've got a suggestion for something to give you a bit of that hygge feeling until spring shows its face. Join our Up Lit Adult Winter Reading Club and find some uplifting and heartwarming titles to get you through the last few…
When Joe Thorne receives a mysterious email from an anonymous sender saying only ‘it’s happening again’, he knows he must return to his hometown of Arnhill, an old English mining town that has seen better days. He returns reluctantly, gets a teaching job at his old high school and soon finds out that no one…
The publishing industry traditionally releases its top books later in the year, but I usually discover a gem or two in the early months. One such treasure is The Weight of a Piano by Chris Cander. This evocative novel tells the complicated story of a seemingly ordinary, upright Blüthner piano. When an artisan picks the…
Have you heard about our Adult Winter Reading Club this year? If you read two "Up Lit" books between January 15 and March 15, we'll enter you into a drawing to win a $50 gift card! What is "Up Lit," you ask? Kind of what it sounds like - uplifting books that tell stories of…
Who do you think is scarier? A cold-blooded murderer, or the murderer’s calm, calculating sister who cleans up the murderer’s messes? My Sister, the Serial Killer forces us to ponder this question through author Oyinkan Braithwaite’s brisk and witty noir-like novel. Older sister Korede (the steady, responsible one) has always felt obligated to watch out…
Inevitably, when the calendar turns to a New Year, newspapers and social media are filled with helpful resolutions that one can make to improve oneself by dieting, bullet journaling, clearing clutter, meditating, exercising, etc. etc. If you’re looking for a new twist on the old resolution idea, you might consider accepting a reading challenge for…
Yesterday I looked at the novels that received the most accolades this year from book reviewers. Today I will tackle nonfiction. I expanded my quest in 2018 and compiled 30 notable lists, including our own favorites from the Cook Memorial Public Library District’s reference desk staffers. I’ve included links to our catalog for book descriptions,…
When every year wraps up, this avowed book geek searches for the titles receiving the most love from reviewers. Today I will tackle fiction. You can find my post about the top nonfiction here. I expanded my quest in 2018 and compiled 30 notable lists, including our own favorites from the Cook Memorial Public Library…
