Director of programs and education Martha Williams recommends The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. I have found this little memoir to be the perfect companion on days that keep me indoors. It’s a quiet book that invites us to observe what’s right around us, even as we dream about the wide world beyond our window. In her mid-thirties, Elisabeth Tova Bailey finds herself struck with a mysterious illness that damages her nervous system, sending her into years of … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Library Book Club Reviews
Book Review: Atomic Habits
Communications Manager Kyla Merwin recommends Atomic Habits by James Clear. Sooner or later, anyone who spends much time with me will see a Diet Coke in my hand. I’m a self-confessed “Coke” addict. I love the stuff. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. According to James Clear in his best-selling book, Atomic Habits, the first question I need to ask myself is this: Do I want to be the type of person who drinks Diet Coke all day every day? Answer: Yes. Yes, I do. Ergo, I will fail at any … [Read more...] about Book Review: Atomic Habits
Book Review: North Woods
Librarian Andrea Nelson recommends North Woods by Daniel Mason. …And now for something completely different.~Monty Python’s Flying Circus, 1971 It’s difficult to capture the essence of Daniel Mason’s North Woods in a single book review. Never before have I read a book as impossible to pigeonhole as this brilliant, multi centennial saga inspired by the crumbling stone remains of a long-gone New England house. When North Woods arrived at our library in 2023, the first thing … [Read more...] about Book Review: North Woods
Book Review: The Demon of Unrest
Director of Library Operations Pam Parker recommends The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson. Readers of Erik Larson’s other noteworthy historical exposés, such as The Devil in the White City (2003), will find familiar territory in his new Civil War-themed work, The Demon of Unrest (2024). I found this latest effort to be surprisingly suspenseful considering that the Civil War is a subject about which plenty has already been … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Demon of Unrest
Book Review: Crazy Brave
Information Systems Manager Will Duke recommends Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo. Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo stands out from typical memoirs by embracing storytelling deeply rooted in Native American culture. Unlike many mainstream memoirs that follow linear structures, Harjo’s memoir embodies the circularity inherent in Native American storytelling traditions. Harjo’s narrative interweaves memory, myth, and metaphor, guided by what she refers to as "the knowing." She creates a tapestry where … [Read more...] about Book Review: Crazy Brave
Book Review: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
by James McBride, reviewed by Director of Library Operations Pamela Parker Another blockbuster success from author James McBride, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (2023) combines his passion for American musical traditions with his fascination with the hard times in our nation’s history. He tackles both race and creed in this work of historical fiction—the result is being touted as our next “Great American Novel.” Written in a style reminiscent of Deacon King Kong (2020) and … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
