Check Out What We're Reading!

The staff at the library have a variety of literary tastes. Wanna know what we're reading? Come in and check out our Staff Picks shelf, or check back occasionally for staff books reviews.

Stan read The Help by Katherine Stockett

"I 'read' (on CD's) The Help. I really enjoyed the characters and the subtle humor. I think it's especially interesting to those of us old enough to remember the racial tensions of the 60's, and very educational for younger generations to see how far we've come."

Stan also read Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

"I 'read' (on CD's) Smokin' Seventeen. Stephanie, Lula, and Grandma are back in the fray with mishaps and surprises throughout. I did, however, predict the killer very early. Very funny. Loved it from beginning to end."

Courtney read Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

"Samantha Kingson is pretty, popular, and a part of the most exclusive clique at her high school. She has a perfect life, until a late night party ends it. Then, she gets a second chance. And a third. And a fourth. Samantha must figure out why she’s reliving her last day."

Courtney also read Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

"An airplane full of Miss Teen Dream beauty pageant contestants crashes on a deserted island. The surviving girls figure out quickly that no one is coming to rescue them. They pool their talents and work out a survival plan, but the Island has secrets and someone doesn’t want the girls to survive."

Courtney also read Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

"Anna’s plan for her senior year did not include being shipped off to a boarding school in Paris, but that’s exactly what happened. Things start looking up when she meets the gorgeous Étienne St. Clair. So what if he has a girlfriend, they can still be friends, right?"

Courtney also read Sleepwalk with Me: and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia

"Mike Birbiglia shares his most humiliating and hilarious stories. If you’re a fan of his stand-up, you’ll like this book."

Courtney also read Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

"In this sequel to Beautiful Creatures, Lena and Ethan await Lena’s 17th birthday and the curse that could change her life forever."

Joyce read Divergent by Veronica Roth

"If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, I think you’ll like reading about Tris in Divergent by Veronica Roth. It takes place in a futuristic Chicago where all 16 year-olds must take an aptitude test and decide which faction of society they want to join. It is a riveting story that begs for a sequel."

Joyce also read How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg

"Please note the warning in the introduction to this book: 'If you don’t have the guts for gore, do not read this book.' Each short chapter in this book tells about a famous historical person and provides stunning details about their ailments and death. You’ll learn about some old-fashioned medical treatments such as blood-letting, cupping, and leeching as well as which famous people died a painful death from lead poisoning. I’m glad I live in a time when we have antibiotics and x-rays instead of leeches for medical procedures!"

Joyce also read Angry Management by Chris Crutcher and has this to say:

"After learning that Angry Management by Chris Crutcher was banned from a South Carolina school’s summer reading list, I just had to read it. While reading this book, I kept asking myself, “Why was it banned?” Could it be because the teen book characters are wiser, more mature and less prejudice than most of the adult characters? After reading this book, I suggest you read the author’s autobiography, King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography."

Joyce also read Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks by Andrea Lankford and has this to say:

"I had a wonderful childhood that included many camping vacations to the National Parks in the western United States. From these experiences, I’ve grown to admire the park rangers who seemed to be walking encyclopedias of their respective parks. This interesting autobiography shows an entirely different side of the jobs these men and women do to protect us and the parks."

Jan read Saturday Big Tent Wedding by Alexander McCall Smith

"I was delighted to find out that there was a new book in this warm, wise series about Precious Ramotswe and her Botswana detective agency which solves crimes mostly by listening and thinking, and enjoyed it as always."

Jan also read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

"Terrorists raid a party to grab the president, who isn't there. Instead, they take the powerful guests hostage, and as time drifts by, bonds grow between the hostages and the terrorists. It's easy for the reader to feel like they will all be in the house together forever, just as they start to."

Jan also read Bumped by Megan McCafferty

"What would happen if only teens could get pregnant? Twins Melody and Harmony meet for the first time and start to compare their very different lives. The characters were not deep, but I was fascinated with the world of the book, the culture that encourages very young women to have multiple babies before the virus makes them infertile."

Jan also read American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld

"This novel - based on the life of Laura Bush - considers how the past directs our paths, how we build relationships with people unlike us, and of course, politics. Now I need to find the biography of Laura Bush she recommends!"

Theresa L read Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

"This was a fun book to read. Starts out with a wedding that doesn’t happen and ends with a wedding that does happen. All the stuff in between is hilarious and sad at times, but mostly funny. The main character in this book is spunky and a mess at the same time. 5 stars on this one."