Library Assistant Leona Anthony recommends Everything to the Sea by Alicia Upano. A sudden tsunami devastates the town of Hilo on Hawaii Island, leaving survivors Kenji and Jane to make sense of what remains and find a way forward. What happens when tragedy strikes the place you call home and lives lost far outnumber those spared? What if you were among the survivors? How do you sustain yourself in a small community deeply shaped by local customs, traditions, and … [Read more...] about Book Review: Everything to the Sea
Staff Reviews: Books, Films, Music, and More
Book Review: Bad Mexicans
Regional History Librarian Carolina Estrella recommends Bad Mexicans by Kelly Lytle Hernández. As the title implies, Bad Mexicans is about a group of Mexicans who wanted to free their country from an unjust government and were deemed traitors for it. The book is a historical non-fiction narrative of the Magonistas who were revolutionary political activists dedicated to taking down the Porfirio Díaz regime in Mexico. It’s part academic essay and part lively reenactment. Hernández does an … [Read more...] about Book Review: Bad Mexicans
Book Review: Lula Dean’s Little Free Library of Banned Books
Director of Library Operations Pamela Parker recommends Lula Dean’s Little Free Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller. Welcome to small-town Idaho – er, Georgia – where book-banning meets a subversive twist! In Kirsten Miller’s Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, the town’s busybody, Lula Dean, sets up a "clean" Little Free Library in her yard. She hopes … [Read more...] about Book Review: Lula Dean’s Little Free Library of Banned Books
Book Review: All My Sisters and Me
Operations Manager Yira Massey recommends All My Sisters and Me by Sheryl Lister. If you’re looking for a wholesome story that centers around love, family and friendship, I recommend All My Sisters and Me by Sheryl Lister. This is a book about four tall, dark and handsome brothers raised in a good and loving home, and the four sisters-in-law trying to learn to love and get along with each other and find their place in the family. Papa Aaron loves his wife and isn’t afraid to show it. … [Read more...] about Book Review: All My Sisters and Me
Book Review: The Best Dog in the World
Children's Librarian Haley Christianson recommends The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love by Alice Hoffman. As much as I hate to admit it, I am someone who, very much, judges a book by its cover. So, when one of my favorite authors, Emily Henry, shared she had contributed an essay to The Best Dog in the World on her Instagram, I was instantly interested. This collection of fourteen different … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Best Dog in the World
Film Review: The Sheep Detectives
Collections Manager Aly Wepplo recommends The Sheep Detectives on DVD. Summer is busy in the Wood River Valley. Shakespeare in the Park, The Sun Valley Music Festival, and visits with out-of-town friends fill my calendar almost every night of the week. I love it, and when I get back to my living room, I want to watch something cozy. Luckily, I found The Sheep Detectives on DVD from The Community Library. The Sheep Detectives celebrates the English countryside, small-town … [Read more...] about Film Review: The Sheep Detectives
