By Suzann Holland and Susan Jevens
Monroe Public Library
Before we launch into our interviews with readers for 2018, we wanted to take one last look back to 2017 and mention some of our favorite titles, and those of the library staff.
"Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. This title is from the author of "The Girl on the Train."
"Sleeping Beauties" by Stephen King and Owen King
In this spectacular father/son collaboration, Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: What might happen if women disappeared from the world of men? This was a New York Times bestseller.
"Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling
For a light spring read, try this humorous memoir by the actress and writer from "The Office" and "The Mindy Project." Mindy has a million things to say about female friendships, the impossibility of looking beautiful in Hollywood without a stylist, her best friend B.J. Novak, and settling into life as an independent adult. Her friendly, funny tone makes you feel like she's talking right to you and welcoming you into her circle of friends.
"Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned" by Alan Alda
Alda's memoir is as elegant, funny, and affecting as the legendary actor's greatest performances. At its core, the book is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow. Like many M*A*S*H episodes, this will give you reasons to laugh and cry.
"To Be Where You Are" by Jan Karon
This is the 14th novel in the Mitford series. After 12 years of wrestling with the conflicts of retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh realizes he doesn't need a steady job to prove himself. Then he's given one. As for what it proves, heaven only knows.
"Mice Skating" by Annie Silvestro
For most field mice, winter means burrowing down and snuggling in. But not for Lucy! She loves snow crunching under her paws and wearing a fluffy wool hat. And most of all, Lucy loves to skate, and she's just aching to show off her new skill with her friends. This beautiful picture book is perfect for reading aloud this winter.
"Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows" by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams
Maier was a nanny who lived in New York City and took photographs as a hobby. After her death in 2009, her thousands of negatives were found, and shared online. She is now known as one of the great street photographers of the 20th century. This beautiful book displays many of her photographs, alongside a discussion of her life and interviews with those who knew her.
"Before the Fall" by Noah Hawley
On a foggy summer night, 11 people depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs - a down on his luck painter - and a 4-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members, the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. This one is hard to put down.
"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline
Set in 2045, Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts, who escapes his sad existence by playing the virtual reality game, the OASIS. He's on the hunt for an Easter egg, the finder of which will inherit the fortune of the OASIS's late creator, James Halliday. But Wade soon finds himself playing a game of survival.
"Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig" by Jonathan Eig
Lou Gehrig was a true baseball icon, the stoic New York Yankee, a man whose consecutive-games streak was halted by a devastating disease that now bears his name. This definitive biography shows that Gehrig's life was more complicated and heroic than anyone really knew.
"All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft" by Geraldine DeRuiter
In this touching and hilarious memoir, the writer behind the popular blog, The Everywhereist, recounts the seven years she spent accompanying her husband on his world travels after being laid off from her job as a copywriter in Seattle. In her explorations, DeRuiter learns that "you can find yourself exactly where you need to be - even if you aren't quite sure where you are."
"My Cousin Rachel" by Daphne Du Maurier
The bestselling author of Rebecca weaves another psychological tale set in Cornwall. Philip Ashley is distraught by his older cousin Ambrose's death abroad in Rome - and Ambrose's chilling last letters filled with fear and paranoia concerning his love Rachel. When Rachel comes to visit Philip at his estate in England, he must determine if this kind, charming woman could really be as cruel as Ambrose hinted at in his letters.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Monroe Public Library
Before we launch into our interviews with readers for 2018, we wanted to take one last look back to 2017 and mention some of our favorite titles, and those of the library staff.
"Into the Water" by Paula Hawkins
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. This title is from the author of "The Girl on the Train."
"Sleeping Beauties" by Stephen King and Owen King
In this spectacular father/son collaboration, Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: What might happen if women disappeared from the world of men? This was a New York Times bestseller.
"Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling
For a light spring read, try this humorous memoir by the actress and writer from "The Office" and "The Mindy Project." Mindy has a million things to say about female friendships, the impossibility of looking beautiful in Hollywood without a stylist, her best friend B.J. Novak, and settling into life as an independent adult. Her friendly, funny tone makes you feel like she's talking right to you and welcoming you into her circle of friends.
"Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned" by Alan Alda
Alda's memoir is as elegant, funny, and affecting as the legendary actor's greatest performances. At its core, the book is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow. Like many M*A*S*H episodes, this will give you reasons to laugh and cry.
"To Be Where You Are" by Jan Karon
This is the 14th novel in the Mitford series. After 12 years of wrestling with the conflicts of retirement, Father Tim Kavanagh realizes he doesn't need a steady job to prove himself. Then he's given one. As for what it proves, heaven only knows.
"Mice Skating" by Annie Silvestro
For most field mice, winter means burrowing down and snuggling in. But not for Lucy! She loves snow crunching under her paws and wearing a fluffy wool hat. And most of all, Lucy loves to skate, and she's just aching to show off her new skill with her friends. This beautiful picture book is perfect for reading aloud this winter.
"Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows" by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams
Maier was a nanny who lived in New York City and took photographs as a hobby. After her death in 2009, her thousands of negatives were found, and shared online. She is now known as one of the great street photographers of the 20th century. This beautiful book displays many of her photographs, alongside a discussion of her life and interviews with those who knew her.
"Before the Fall" by Noah Hawley
On a foggy summer night, 11 people depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs - a down on his luck painter - and a 4-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members, the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. This one is hard to put down.
"Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline
Set in 2045, Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts, who escapes his sad existence by playing the virtual reality game, the OASIS. He's on the hunt for an Easter egg, the finder of which will inherit the fortune of the OASIS's late creator, James Halliday. But Wade soon finds himself playing a game of survival.
"Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig" by Jonathan Eig
Lou Gehrig was a true baseball icon, the stoic New York Yankee, a man whose consecutive-games streak was halted by a devastating disease that now bears his name. This definitive biography shows that Gehrig's life was more complicated and heroic than anyone really knew.
"All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft" by Geraldine DeRuiter
In this touching and hilarious memoir, the writer behind the popular blog, The Everywhereist, recounts the seven years she spent accompanying her husband on his world travels after being laid off from her job as a copywriter in Seattle. In her explorations, DeRuiter learns that "you can find yourself exactly where you need to be - even if you aren't quite sure where you are."
"My Cousin Rachel" by Daphne Du Maurier
The bestselling author of Rebecca weaves another psychological tale set in Cornwall. Philip Ashley is distraught by his older cousin Ambrose's death abroad in Rome - and Ambrose's chilling last letters filled with fear and paranoia concerning his love Rachel. When Rachel comes to visit Philip at his estate in England, he must determine if this kind, charming woman could really be as cruel as Ambrose hinted at in his letters.
- Cover to Cover is provided by the Monroe Public Library and is published the fourth Wednesday of the month.