Staff Pick Round-Up!

Hello Readers. Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve physically set foot in our libraries, so today, we are bringing the staff picks to you! Many of us have had a little extra time to read this year, and you may have even burned through your bookshelf. If you are not sure what to read (or watch) next, trust our vetted staff to put the right title in your hands. 

Katie highly recommends these titles: 

• Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

Tony offers his endorsement:

“Through Kanopy, the library carries a catalog of documentaries from a director named Frederick Wiseman, spanning from the 60s to now. They are fly-on-the-wall styled films that document daily life in various areas of our society – stuff like mental institutions, libraries, small towns, high schools, and ballet companies. Very rare, critically acclaimed work that can’t be found anywhere else.”

Savannah has multi-media covered:

• Books: 
  • The Kingkiller Chronicle Series by Patrick Rothfuss
  • Ready Player One and Ready Player 2 by Ernest Cline 
• Comic: 
  • Saga Series by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples
• TV Series: 
  • Game of Thrones Series (of course)

Michelle has provided a variety of juvenile, YA, and adult titles:

• Juvenile:
  • So B. It by Sarah Weeks
  • The Vanderbeekers Series by Karina Yan Glaser
  • Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk
  • The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall
  • The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• YA:
  • Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
  • One of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus
• Adult:
  • Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
  • Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
  • Why Motherhood Matters: An Invitation to Purposeful Parenting by September McCarthy
  • The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids  by Sarah Mackenzie

Tracy, our head librarian at Jackson County, can always be counted on for contemplative reads:

• Plotters by Un-Su Kim
• How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• This Brilliant Darkness by Jeff Sharlet
• Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
• The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine
• Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

Jessica suggests this book, which she wouldn’t have originally chosen for herself but now loves:

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel – “This is beautifully written speculative fiction, with a fine ensemble cast of characters who all strike me as deeply believable, as does the unique mission they have undertaken. It is an adventure story with a philosophical heart.”

Julia recommends these fantasy titles:

• Transcendent Kingdom – Yaa Gyasi 
• Magic Lessons – Alice Hoffman
• Invisible Life of Addie Larue – V.E. Schwab

Laura is a fan of this Southern Gothic author:

• Twilight by William Gay

Ben brings you this non-fiction pick:

• One Long River of Song by Bryan Doyle
• Check out Ben’s other favorites here!

I’ll wrap it up with an author recommendation:

Vita Nostra, authored by the power couple Marina and Sergey Dyancheko, is a story of transformative effects of discipline and growth. Their short story, The Burned Tower, also has a stunning ending.