Staff Picks: Spring 2024Like this list

19 items

• Chain-gang All-stars

  Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame,

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  A brutal condemnation of mass incarceration, systemic racism, and unchecked capitalism. Amazing characters and world-building. -- Adam

• Solito

  a Memoir

  Zamora, Javier,

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  Javier’s memoir details his tremendous journey immigrating from El Salvador to “La Usa” at the age of nine. It’s heartbreaking and moving to learn of the perils people face for a chance at a better life. I highly recommend the audiobook,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Faith, Hope and Carnage

  Cave, Nick, 1957-

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  A series of in-depth interviews with iconic singer, songwriter, author and artist Nick Cave delves into the power of grief, the strength of love, and the nature of creativity. -- Rebecca

• Wild Mind, Wild Earth

  Our Place in the Sixth Extinction

  Hinton, David, 1954-

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  Channeling the American Transcendentalists and Robinson Jeffers, Hinton contends that the view of Paleolithic humans - that people are an integral part of nature - is best preserved in the Chinese traditions of Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism ,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

  Groen, Hendrik,

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  Written under a pseudonym, the author shares a fictionalized daily life living in a retirement home through the pages of his diary. This is very warm, humorous and touching story. -- Gina

• A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

  Murder in Ancient Rome

  Southon, Emma,

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  It's a very interesting look into the reality of life in Ancient Rome, told in a very accessible conversational style. It is also laugh out loud funny! -- Birgitta

• The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

  a Novel

  Moreno-Garcia, Silvia,

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  Yet another thoroughly engaging and beautifully crafted novel by the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. This feminist twist on the 19th century science fiction tale by H.G. Wells challenges patriarchal colonization and the questionable…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Atomic Habits

  Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results : An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

  Clear, James,

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  An interesting reminder that small changes you make now will pay significant dividends down the road. A great read if you want to kick start a change in your life. -- Gina

• Let Us Descend

  a Novel

  Ward, Jesmyn,

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• Grandiloquent Words

  a Pictoric Lexicon of Ostrobogulous Locutions

  Ott, Jason Travis,

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  "The founder of Grandiloquent Word of the Day accordingly presents a voluptuary of verbiage encompassing rare and obscure terms that confound or delight, antiquated argot from myriad epochs, and lexemes for venturesome bibliophiles... more…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eastbound

  Kerangal, Maylis de,

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  A taut, fast-paced story set on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Beautifully written in spare yet lyrical prose. -- Adam

• Thornhedge

  Kingfisher, T.,

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  T. Kingfisher's marvelous retelling combines Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel in a captivating novella with a loveable, quirky cast of characters, including a reluctant knight, a self-doubting changeling, and a host of fantastical creatures.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Women

  Hannah, Kristin,

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• Bonfire Night

  Bliss, Anna,

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  Hard enough to survive Hitler's Blitz of London, but a female Irish-Catholic press photographer must also navigate the war while falling in love and losing the Jewish doctor who is caught between his family's demands and the woman he…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hang the Moon

  a Novel

  Walls, Jeannette,

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  If you liked The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, you may like this one as well. It takes place during prohibition in Virginia. Vivid characters and a rich narrative. -- Gina

• How Beautiful We Were

  a Novel

  Mbue, Imbolo,

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  A powerful and moving novel that explores the devastating impact of environmental exploitation on a small African village and the resilience of its people in their fight for justice against an indifferent American oil company. Mbue's vivid…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Five Decembers

  Kestrel, James,

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  A neo-noir with smooth prose that takes the reader all around the Pacific in the 1930s and 40s. I found all of the characters compelling, particularly the protagonist, who could have been played by Robert Mitchum in a movie adaptation. --…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Prisoner's Throne

  a Novel of Elfhame

  Black, Holly,

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  It's a YA novel that fantasy lovers of all ages will enjoy. It is a sequel so by proxy, I'm also kinda recommending "The Stolen Heir." -- Birgitta

• Joan

  a Novel

  Chen, Katherine J., 1990-

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