I love short stories and I'll tell you why: good short stories are like little mini-novels. They transport you completely, immerse you in their world, and then they let you go. If you're a person who doesn't feel like you have time to read the latest novels, short stories are a great alternative. Short story [...]
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal (2017; 304 pages). Downloadable audiobook available via Hoopla. When Nikki responds to the job ad at the Sikh temple, she thinks she will be teaching creative writing to Punjabi women. It sounds like something that will be interesting and helpful and hopefully help her figure out what [...]
Are you wearing a fancy hat this weekend for Derby? Here are some of my favorite picture books about hats! Old Hat by Emily Gravett (2017). When Harbet wears his favorite comfy hat, everyone makes fun of him, calling "Old hat! Old hat!" So Harbet decides to get with the times. But no matter what [...]
I couldn't look away from this book! A compelling memoir. I don't normally read books all in one go, but this was one that I couldn't put down and I read the entire thing over the course of one weekend. And now I find myself wanting to tell everyone I meet about this book. Educated [...]
April is National Poetry Month, so it's a great time to try out a novel in verse. If you've never read one, it's just what it sounds like: a novel-length story told complete in poems. Typically the poems are free-verse, but some authors like to mix it up. Novels in verse have been published for [...]
Don't read if you're alone in the house...! Do you keep your doors locked? Do you keep your security system armed? You will after you read I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (2018; 328 pages). (Click here to access the ebook!) Michelle McNamara [...]
April 4, 2018 will mark 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now's a great time to pick up this amazing new book about the life and death of Dr. King: Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea David Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (2018; 127 pages). (Check out the [...]
Over the weekend, my husband and I went to see the movie Love, Simon. Have you seen it yet? It was so great. You should definitely see it. Take a look at the trailer now. And depending on your preferences you should definitely read the book first OR read the book after you've seen the [...]
Get ready for March Madness with these books about basketball! The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014; 237 pages). This novel in verse pops on every page as middle schooler Josh navigates life on and off the basketball court. It's got a special place in my heart since I served on the 2015 Newbery Committee, which [...]
March is Women's History Month, so it's a great time to learn something new about women's history. Check out one of these recent books we've gotten at the library. Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy (2017; 416 pages). Some 11,000 women worked [...]