- Mahogany S.
- Saturday, May 29, 2021
Find your next favorite book and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2021 prompt to "Read a book suggested by a Library staff member" with these personal recommendations from our colleagues!
Alex B., Richland Library Sandhills
Finna
Nino Cipri
This tells the story of a queer break up amid the retail drudgery of working at a big box furniture store. Oh and did I mention the interdimensional wormholes? When an elderly customer wanders through a wormhole on the show room floor, the couple in question is tasked with traveling through the wormhole to retrieve the customer--or her "suitable replacement" from one of the other big box furniture stores in other dimensions. The ridiculousness of the premise juxtaposes the tender emotional core of the book in a way that give you lots to chew on.
Bland L., Business & Careers, Richland Library Main
The Last Fine Time
Verlyn Klinkenborg
This is a beautifully written portrait of a bygone era in Buffalo, NY, tracking the rise and fall of a Polish American restaurant and nightclub that hit its stride amid post-WWII prosperity but later declined like much of the rest of the city. I read this years ago (I think it was originally published in 1991, but the U of Chicago Press republished it in 2004, which is the ed. we have), but it has really stayed with me for the quality of the writing. Klinkenborg does a great job of evoking a time of vibrant ethnic neighborhoods and businesses.
Thomas M., Teen Center, Richland Library Main
Laziness Does Not Exist
Devon Price
A lot of people harm themselves, their social lives, and ironically, their productivity by focusing on work, tasks, and to-do lists to the point of obsession and exhaustion. Price's research digs into the myths of laziness and lies we tell ourselves about what makes our lives valuable. What I love most is that this is not a backdoor productivity book about how taking an occasional break will make us all harder workers. Reducing burnout and stress are good in and of themselves. You could always be doing more, but guess what, you also could not, and that would be okay. *On the Broader Bookshelf front, Price uses they/them pronouns and the book touches on white supremacy and fatphobia.*
Sara M., Research & Readers' Advisory, Richland Library Main
Difficult Light
Tomas Gonzalez (translated by Andrea Rosenberg)
This title fulfills two Broader Bookshelf prompts - in addition to being a staff recommendation Gonzalez is a Colombian author. It's quite short but emotionally packed - it's written in two timelines, one in which a painter and his wife wait to hear the news that their beloved son's medically assisted suicide has been completed and the other at the end of the painter's long life, when he reflects on his decades of experience with grief.
Kris D., Business & Careers, Richland Library Main
Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success
Dawn Graham
A few points about the book...
1. You have to research the new career. You might think that it is your dream career until it is too late and find out this is not what it was made out to be. 2. You need to have a targeted strategy and plan. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable" 3. Create Ambassadors. Network your way to a job, by having referrals (ambassadors) from your network help you get that job. 4. Build a Brand. Have your social media demonstrate your brand, have a quote about your brand within your signature of your email address and introduce yourself with an elevator pitch focused on your brand.
Kate B., Checkout, Richland Library Main
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
Alexis Coe
The author, Alexis Coe, recognizes that most George Washington biographies are written by men and highlight his masculinity, his military career, and other matters are pushed to the sidelines. Coe instead chooses to focus on those lesser studied, but just as pertinent to understanding Washington, matters of his life. Funny at times; eye-opening at others. Well researched (there are copious notes at the end), Coe's biography provides a more nuanced look at our first president all while providing snippets of related history in sidebar explanations. Perfect for someone looking to broaden their understanding of George Washington or who is dipping their toe into biographies for the first time.
Anita M., Richland Library Cooper
Betty
Tiffany McDaniel
This is a beautifully written book about a family that goes through some very difficult and painful things. The author has built a work of fiction around her own family story and the characters are so well written that no matter the terrible situations they find themselves living through, you will want to stay with them long after the book is over. Very impressive, heart wrenching and ultimately life affirming.
Cindi R., Checkout, Richland Library Main
Artemis
Andy Weir
Jasmine is a smart-ass smuggler who is made an offer she can't refuse, and then needs to deploys all her chutzpah (and a small cadre of accomplices) to make things right when the situation goes horribly wrong.
Andy Weir (who also wrote The Martian, another favorite of mine) throws you headlong into this adventure and there's no turning back. Artemis is science fiction with a dash of detective novel and intrigue. Weir's characters are very well developed, the plot solid, and I could not put it down. Highly recommended for folks who don't spark on science fiction as well as ardent fans of the genre.
Ariel H., Research & Readers' Advisory, Richland Library Main
Riding Freedom
Pam Muñoz Ryan
This was a childhood favorite of mine. It follows a girl in an orphanage for boys, who has a love for horses and writing her own journey. Her path eventually leads her into becoming the first woman to vote in California and a legendary horse rider. Along the way she lives a secret life, that isn't uncovered until after her death. This story is based on the life of Charlotte "One Eyed Charley" Parkhurst. I was given this copy by the First Lady Rachel Hodges when I was in elementary school and held on to it ever since re-reading it often because of my love of horses, Charlotte's strength, and my love of knowing I had some control in writing my own journey. Charlotte was fierce and bold. She was a woman of strength and determination. She was an inspiration.
A complete list of the prompts 2021 Broader Bookshelf is available here, Need more suggestions? Try our personalized reading recommendations service.