Check out what our staff is reading, watching, and listening to. Click the title or the image of the staff pick to go to the item's entry within our catalog and check it out for yourself.

Previous Staff Picks

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Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Rock by Howard Kramer | Non-Fiction | Music/Rock & Roll | Submitted by: Sandy Murphy
As we anxiously await a 50th concert tour (please?) this colorful compilation will tide us over chronicling the Stones from the very beginning through their various stages via concert tours. Great pix, too!

"Saint Maybe," Anne Tyler | Book | Fiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Manager
One of Anne Tyler's lesser known gems, this novel spanning a generation in the life of the Bedloe family will make you wish it had a sequel.

"Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth," E.L. Konigsburg | Book | Juvenile Fiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Manager
Fans of Konigsburg's "From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" will also enjoy this quirky and funny book about friendship, the fifth grade, and a mystery.

"Bento Box In The Heartland," Linda Furiya | Book | Biography | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Manager
This delightful read -part memoir, part cookbook- is guaranteed to inspire a craving for potstickers.

"Happens Every Day," Isabel Gillies | Book | Biography | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
Well-written, engrossing account of Gillies' discovery that her husband had fallen for another woman and the subsequent divorce.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline | Book | Fiction | Submitted by: Sean Rapacki, Teen Librarian
Imagine a virtual reality created by a genius with a fetish for 80s arcade games, movies & music. Now imagine that this virtual reality is setting for a contest that offers you your only opportunity to escape poverty and oppression. Game on!

The Walk | Book | Fiction | Submitted by: Missi Watts
The main character, Alan Christofferson, is faced with several devastating losses. The Walk is the beginning of Alan's journey to go on despite his life circumstances. This book is good because even in the depths of his sorrow Alan moves forward.

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff | Book | History | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski
In 1945 two American servicemen, and one WAC survived a plane crash in a remote area of Dutch New Guinea. This exciting and well-written book chronicles their encounter with the primitive Dani tribesmen and their eventual amazing rescue.

Understood Betsy, Dorothy Canfield Fisher | Book | Children's Fiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
I'd somehow missed this book well into my adult years and promptly recommended it to everyone I know: a must-read for fans of classic children's literature.

The Take-Out Menu Cookbook, Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds | Book | Cookbook | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
Nice comprehensive cookbook covering many classic take-out options presented in an appealing format and consisting of easy-to-follow recipes.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers | Book | Fiction | Submitted by: Krystal Williams
1930s Georgia - The characters are the damned, the voiceless, the rejected. Some fight their loneliness with violence and depravity, some with sex or drink, and some with a quiet, intensely personal search for beauty.

The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews | book | Mystery | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski, Children's Librarian
Donna Andrews is a master of the humorous mystery. In the latest installment of her series featuring Meg Langslow and her wacky family, Meg deals with homeless animals, eminent domain, and murder while caring for her new twins.

The Real Macaw | Book | Mystery | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski, Children's Librarian
Donna Andrews is a master of the humorous mystery. This is the latest installment in her series featuring Meg Langslow and her wacky family. Mystery solving, eccentric family, and four-month-old twins are all on Meg's plate this time.

"The Ledge," Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughan | Book | Nonfiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
Grueling, descriptive story of an adventure gone wrong and a survivor's eventual success in coping with the aftermath of tragedy.

The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz: A True Story of WWII |  | Non-Fiction | Submitted by: Sandy Murphy
Meet Denis Avey, a 90+ WWII vet who finally tells his story of changing places with a prisoner at the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. Avey walks you through many battles before describing the nightmare incarceration he volunteered for. An excellent read

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens | Book | Children's Fiction | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski, Children's Librarian
Many people enjoyed the Harry Potter series and would like to read something similar to it - this is the book for you! Fantasy, adventure, magic, and interesting characters abound. For adults as well as children.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma | book | Children's fiction | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski, Children's Librarian
A group of exceptionally intelligent children battle the evil Ledropha Curtain in his efforts to take over the world. This is the third in a great series that mixes puzzles, adventure, and a bit of mystery. Adults will like it, too!

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern | Non-fiction |  | Submitted by: Sandy Murphy
Just finished this title, and it's a scream. If you are offended by foul-language, it's not the book for you. Meet Dr. Sam Halpern who has quite a way of summing up life's events and difficulties. I laughed out loud too many times to count. Enjoy!

"Dicey's Song" by Cynthia Voigt | Book | Children's Fiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
Excellent sequel to "Homecoming" and a must read for anyone who fell in love with the Tillermans and wondered what happened next.

"Little Pink House" by Jeff Benedict | Book | Nonfiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard
Excellent account of the infamous eminent domain fight in New London, Connecticut.

Betsy Was A Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace | Book | Children's Fiction | Submitted by: Maggie Orchard, Circulation Associate
Betsy and Tacy's friend Tib has moved back to Deep Valley, and their junior year gets off to an exciting start when the girls form a sorority based on Betsy's sister Julia's experiences at college. To their surprise, though, the fun doesn't last.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott | Book | Teen/realistic | Submitted by: Krystal Williams
After being abducted when she was ten and abused for five years by her kidnapper, Ray, Alice's only hope of freedom is in death, but her only way to achieve such an escape is to help Ray find the next girl for his collection.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett | Book | General Fiction | Submitted by: Sandy Murphy
There is a reason this title is on the bestseller's list. It was excellent! Follow the story of Skeeter, Aibileen, & Minny as they find themselves part of the civil rights movement in Mississippi during the 1960s.

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson | Book | History | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski, Assistant Manager, Children's Services
In 1933 history professor William Dodd became U.S. ambassador to Germany. In the next four years he, his wife, and two adult children experienced firsthand the deepening horror of Nazism. I found this book insightful, readable, and full of unforgettable descriptions of the era’s people and events.

The Pale King by David Foster Wallace | Book | Fiction | Submitted by: Sean Rapacki
When the author tragically took his own life in 2008, he left behind this manuscript in progress. Although an unfinished work, this ironic expose of the IRS is as compelling and stunning an achievement as his previous two novels

The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross | Book | Science Fiction | Submitted by: Ryan Dean
A fast paced Sci-fi mix of H.P. Lovecraft and Ian Fleming, the Atrocity Archives combines complex ideas and interesting characters in comedic romps through magical technology, secret service procedures, and Cthulu mythos hilarity.

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny. | Book | Mystery | Submitted by: Donna Gnatowski
Louise Penny's beautiful writing moves this mystery into a different level of storytelling while describing Quebec City so intimately that the reader feels she is there.

Life by Keith Richards | Book | Biography | Submitted by: Sandy Murphy
Fasten your seatbelt for a wild ride with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones spanning his childhood to present day. I’m not finished with it, but it’s an impressive read so far.