Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers by John Dougherty “This book is a fun, easy read with LOTS of silliness and some illustrations for the younger set while still having enough of a plot and length to the story to keep it interesting for those late elementary and middle-schoolers. If you like this […]
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob “This is a funny and complex book motivated by questions from the author’s six-year-old son, questions that are sparked in the years leading up to Trump’s election as her son forms his identity as a young brown boy. Throughout this uniquely illustrated graphic memoir, Jacob explores her […]
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo “This novel about Amanda, a trans teen, negotiating a new school was interesting, informative, funny and heartbreaking. Loved it!” –Margie, Resource Services Get more staff reading recommendations
“Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi “‘Children of the Blood and Bone’ is set in Orisha, a fantasy nation with roots in West African mythology. Adeyemi creates a world where magic has been completely suppressed. The main protagonist, Zeile, is born a maji, but must hide her magical powers. I highly recommend this […]
“There There” by Tommy Orange “A city is a place, is a collection of architecture, is neighborhoods, is happenings, is a multiplicity of voices. In the “There There”, the city is Oakland, CA, and the voices are those of urban (Indigenous) Natives. What starts as individual vignettes ends in a kind of complicated coherence, where […]
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro “A dystopian love story centered around three friends from childhood as they come of age. Wonderfully written and full of twists that will keep you wanting more.” –Cait, Meadows Get more staff reading recommendations
The Bridge Ladies: A Memoir by Betsy Lerner “The daughter of one of the titular “ladies”, who has played bridge for many years with the same group, observes, plays, and writes about her mother and these women she has known all her life. The author’s observations over time improve her opinion of her mother, her […]
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea “This excellent novel, about a dying Mexican immigrant who throws one last blow-out party to celebrate both his birthday and his life, proves that happy families can be as interesting as unhappy ones. It’s also a solid choice for those looking to add a little diversity […]
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton “Growing up in South Florida, I had many friends and neighbors of Cuban heritage, so this book not only offered a great historical perspective but was a particularly relevant read for me. The author does a wonderful job re-creating the place of Havana a few years before Fidel Castro […]
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi “In this sweeping epic that spans seven generations and extends from West Africa to the United States, Gyasi takes readers on an emotional, heartbreaking, and ultimately affirming journey. Told in alternating verses, the story follows the lineages of two half-sisters whose family histories connect in unexpected and surprising ways The ending that […]