staff picks - Page 3 of 4

It's that time of year again... the time when everyone starts making their "Best of 2016" lists. We, of course, couldn't pass up the opportunity to make one of our own and share our staff's favorite books, movies, and TV on DVD from 2016. So here it is! We just have one disclaimer: This blog… Read More

Sylvia Townsend Warner’s “Lolly Willowes” is a funny and delightful, 90-year old British novel about a spinster who becomes a witch. Why recommend this novel now? For one thing, it may be the perfect cozy book to read while savoring the end of autumn and watching the last leaves sink as you sip cider. But,… Read More

When I first looked at John Donvan and Caren Zucker’s “In a Different Key: The Story of Autism,” I felt a little intimidated by its 670 pages. But once I started flipping through it, I wanted to read every word. The authors have taken a massive topic – the social and scientific history of autism… Read More

You might recognize Herman Koch’s name from his bestselling 2012 novel The Dinner. A Dutch writer, Koch is a master at creating unnerving literary thrillers. Dear Mr. M is Koch’s third novel to be translated into English, and like The Dinner, and his last novel, Summer House with Swimming Pool, it is another deliciously creepy… Read More

As the head of household at the famous Sewell mansion in the 1920s,  12-year-old Martha’s Ma quickly hires her as the new kitchen maid; a necessity after Martha smart talks her teacher one too many times and gets kicked out of her local parish school. Mr. Sewell is the wealthy owner of a large newspaper… Read More

In his memoir, “Guantánamo Diary”, Mohamedou Ould Slahi admits that he fought for an al-Qaida unit in Afghanistan in the early 1990s. But that was when the United States was active in funding al-Qaida because it was fighting against the Soviet Union. Slahi then went back to Germany to finish school and spent some time… Read More

“You may have been perfectly designed, but there is always ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.” This terrifying utterance by the ‘Father of the Euro Zone’ in Louise O’Neill’s excellent young adult novel Only Ever Yours will be with me forever. Only Ever Yours paints the picture of a post-apocalyptic world in which women are not born --… Read More

Only around three percent of the books published in the U.S. each year are works in translation. This means many American readers miss out on some great reads—even from our closest Spanish-speaking neighbor. Here are just three Mexican novelists whose work has recently been translated into English. I chose to highlight these authors because their… Read More

When you think about a summer read, maybe you expect something with thrills, romance, or gut-busting laughs? Maybe you wouldn’t usually consider a story about a man and his dachshund that very well might serve up a big helping of emotions. I wouldn’t blame you, as I know what’s usually in my beach bag. It’s… Read More

Earlier in June I had the great fortune of attending Book Expo America (BEA) in Chicago. BEA is a librarian’s dream. We were able to meet authors, hear about upcoming book releases, and even snag advance copies of some of the titles. I picked up many titles that I’m excited to share with readers, but… Read More