Hello, readers! We’re back with another Staff Pick Round-Up! With 2024 off to a flying start, it’s sometimes hard to find that extra bit of reading time, but I recommend making it a priority. Let’s discover what my coworkers are reading in their downtime, and you may find a title or two for inspiration!
Jason, our resident baker, highly recommends Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit, by Erika Council. Full of amazing recipes far beyond the basic biscuit, this is a fantastic addition to our cookbook collection. As Jason says, “IT’S ABOUT BREAD!” Need I say more?
Tony declares, “My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand was my favorite book of last year. Very insightful and interesting look at her long career, her trademark wit carries the narrative along very well.”
Romona has been binge reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. She tells us, “It is a fantastic mystery/urban-fantasy series. The first book in the series is Storm Front, which is a great introduction to Harry Dresden and his magical wizard-for-hire world.”
Kahlan says, “My favorite is Verity, by Colleen Hoover! It’s the perfect blend of romance, suspense, and horror to keep your attention. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down!”
Jance informs us, “I am currently loving the increase of Indigenous horror novels and short stories we are seeing published. This anthology, Never Whistle at Night is absolutely bone-chilling and fascinating. Many Indigenous cultures believe you should not whistle at night as you can stir up spirits or malevolent beings. It explores why you should never whistle at night, while celebrating Indigenous folks survival and ingenuity; it also features stories from some authors I love, including Tommy Orange, Brandon Hobson, Waubgeshig Rice, and many more. Continuing with the theme of Indigenous literature, Tommy Orange AND Waubgeshig Rice both have released new novels recently.” Those titles are, respectively, Wandering Stars and Moon of the Turning Leaves, and both are sequels to previous books by these authors: There There and Moon of the Crusted Snow.
Eon is highlighting a couple of non-fiction choices. The first is Hard Lines: Rough South Poetry, and he says, “This collection features a wonderful selection of Southern and Appalachian poetry from all walks of life.” Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is next; Eon explains, “In a letter to his son, Coates offers the cultural framework of our country’s history. From race to the philosophy of art, this is one of the most important books I’ve ever read.”
Allyson says, “My favorite cookbook release of 2023 is Sohla El-Waylly’s Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. This book is helpful for cooks of any level, from people just learning how to scramble an egg to people looking to refine cooking and baking techniques they’ve been honing for years. In addition to the content, the book is thoughtfully constructed – Sohla and her team very intentionally made the book physically accessible, using fonts that are easy to read and lay-flat pages so that it stays open on your counter while you’re cooking from it. Even better, all the recipes are winners.”
Dianne offers up a couple of oldies but goodies, the first being Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer. It is “a satisfying, well told tale of three quite different couples, all living in a small southern Appalachian community. The narrative rotates between the three households and gradually, the reader may notice more commonalities than differences between these couples. Focus is more on description and character development than plot, so this one is better for nature lovers than action fans.” Next up is The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: An Adventure with Sixteen Sheep, Three Dogs, Two Donkeys, and Me. This book “by Jon Katz is a wry, amusing, down to earth memoir about a city fellow who meant to adopt a dog, but ended up with a whole farm, and eventually, a community of friends.”
Katie’s contribution is Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor. She states, “A nonfiction best seller from a few years ago, Breath weaves topics of health, science, history, and overall well-being into one fascinating read that left me taping my mouth shut! This book is an entertaining and informative read for anyone in pursuit of better health, both mind and body.”
Laura says, “Tom Lake by Ann Patchett is a novel about love and coming of age. Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s cherry orchard to help pick the yearly crop. The daughters get their mom to tell the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor that she shared both a stage and a romantic summer with at Tom Lake Theater Company. As the story unfolds, the daughters examine their own lives. Patchett continues to write about characters and stories that make the reader care about them.”
Michelle S. has several recommendations. One is Memory Lane, by Becky Wade, because she “loved the beautiful mix of amnesia and a murder mystery wrapped up in Christian fiction!” Next is Pam Jenoff’s The Orphan’s Tale, “a story of two women who meet during World War II and their lives are changed forever by a baby, the circus, sacrifice and survival.” Finally, a juvenile fiction choice, The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown, “a beautiful story of a robot named Roz who unexpectedly ended up on a deserted island. She learns to communicate with the animals, and even helps teach, and protect other animals.”
I’ll end with some great Christian fiction choices. First, let me spotlight several debut Christian fiction books I have recently enjoyed: Dear Henry, Love Edith, by Becca Kinzer, On Moonberry Lake, by Holly Varni, and Julia Monroe Begins Again, by Rebekah Millet. All of these books were so much fun to read, and I’m thrilled to have three more amazing Christian fiction authors on my radar! I am certainly looking forward to reading what these ladies write next. Last of all, I have to recommend two other particular titles that really stood out for me. Kara Isaac’s Then There Was You is not a new book, but it was a fantastic read and introduced me to an author I’d never heard of. Michelle Shocklee’s latest, Appalachian Song, absolutely resonated with me. While the first is more contemporary, and the second is set in the mountains of Tennessee during the 1940’s and onward, both of these books are must-reads. I am also going to read every other book these two authors have written!
There you have it, our latest Round-Up! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed everyone’s suggestions and saw one or more that piqued your interest; it’s a well-rounded selection of fiction and non-fiction, whichever you prefer! And if you missed Round-Ups 1, 2, or 3, be sure to check those out, too. Happy Reading!
Shelf Life in the Mountains 