STAFF PICKS

Featuring a rich portrait of English country life in the 1830s, Middlemarch is a story filled with hopes, dreams, and intrigues. People are not always what they seem in the town of Middlemarch, and you’ll encounter those who are selfish, admirable, in debt, brilliant, and never boring. Considered Eliot’s masterpiece, Middlemarch will stay with you after the last page is turned.

What could have happened to America and the world if Charles Lindbergh had defeated FDR in the 1940 presidential election? Philip Roth creates a fascinating thriller based upon characters in a Jewish, New Jersey family living with the ramifications of that election: anti-Semitism and what can happen when a government restricts religious freedoms in the name of what is good for the country.

At age 63, Michael Gill loses his job in prestigious advertising firm. Along with unemployment, Gill is handed several other crises: divorce, an unexpected newborn son and a brain tumor.

Looking for full-time employment with health benefits, he becomes a barista-in-training at Starbucks. Here, he learns to humble himself, respect diversity, and gratefully embraces Life’s second chance.

Ali was born a Muslim in Somalia, was given in marriage to a Muslim living in Canada by her father, but escaped and became a citizen of the Netherlands. Her life as a Muslim woman on a daily basis – as a student, as a refugee, as an educated person – and her feelings and opinions about her life are described with clarity.

This series is written for middle schoolers, but as an adult reader, Kinney will take you right back to that somewhat painful time in everyone’s life when being different is not a good thing, and will put such a comic spin on those events, you will laugh out loud.

For a more serious but still hilarious look at our teen years, try out The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Mr. Alexie’s smart-but-physically weak protagonist puts a humorous spin on subjects such as life on an Indian reservation, being an outsider, and fitting in two opposing cultures.

This historical novel (part one in a trilogy) tells the tale of sixteen-year-old Gemma, an outspoken (for the times) girl who, following the death of her mother, is sent to an English boarding school. Gemma has visions which lead to her being given a diary which leads to many adventures in an alternate world for Gemma and her friends.

The first full-length novel for children to win the prestigious Caldecott Award for illustration, Selznick’s fascinating book takes the reader on a mysterious journey through the walls of a Paris train station in 1931.  Hugo, an orphan, with a talent for all things mechanical meets a mysterious toy maker and begins to unravel the secrets of the past.

Are you looking for something a little different?  In this short story collection, Miranda July presents her whimsical, eccentric and sometimes creepy protagonists for our reading pleasure.

For those adults who have been avoiding the Children’s fiction collection, here are a couple of titles you should check out. I really enjoyed Naomi Hirohara’s 1001 Cranes. She has really captured the emotional turmoil that our main character (12 yr old Angie) goes through. A fast read well worth your time. Find it in the new books section.

If you haven’t read them yet, wrap your mind around Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series. A combination of science fiction, mystery, fantasy and adventure that will leave you wanting for more! Start with one (Artemis Fowl) and read them in succession or you’ll miss half the fun. For adventure of a different kind try Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. A look at how a family deals with their handicapped child under unusual circumstances. Told with compassion and understanding, you’ll be moved and encouraged.

For adventure of a different kind try Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. A look at how a family deals with their handicapped child under unusual circumstances. Told with compassion and understanding, you’ll be moved and encouraged.

Diagnosed with ALS at age 35, Philip Simmons writes with remarkable optimism and deep spirituality. His theme is relevant to us all as we face a myriad of “learning to fall” moments in our life.  His book is not overly sentimental but a genuinely inspirational read - one of my top five all-time favorites.

The book chronicles Gail Eisnitz’s (an animal welfare investigator) time spent investigating the meat industry and the effects its cruelty has on the animals, the factory workers and the environment. I find it is a great reflection of our culture and harkens to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and how we are not quite so evolved in our humanity and health standards.

Narrated by Gordianus the Finder, an ancient Roman-styled detective, readers get to experience the tumultuous times and events leading up to the establishment of Julius Caesar as Emperor of Rome. In The Judgment of Caesar, we meet Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy, who were at war with each other for the crown of Egypt. Saylor, who has had a lifelong fascination with ancient Rome, brings his characters to life and transports readers right into their world.