This Month's Staff Picks
Eileen
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
I don’t think this book needs any introduction. Even people who have never read it know the outline. The boy who lived and the evil wizard Voldemort – it takes seven books and eight movies to tell the story. But when I recently started re-reading the series, what I enjoyed most was the small world-building details – and now that I know the story well– seeing the subtle hints and foreshadowing. So this is my plea to read your favorites over and over again.
Platforms: book, audio, DVD, Libby ebook/audio
Joe
Snow in August by Pete Hamill
Deeply affecting and wonderfully evocative of old New York, Snow in August is a brilliant fable for our time and all time -- and another triumph for Pete Hamill.
Brooklyn, 1947. The war veterans have come home. Jackie Robinson is about to become a Dodger. And in one close-knit working-class neighborhood, an eleven-year-old Irish Catholic boy named Michael Devlin has just made friends with a lonely rabbi from Prague.
Snow in August is the story of that unlikely friendship -- and of how the neighborhood reacts to it. For Michael, the rabbi opens a window to ancient learning and lore that rival anything in Captain Marvel. For the rabbi, Michael illuminates the everyday mysteries of America, including the strange language of baseball. But like their hero Jackie Robinson, neither can entirely escape from the swirling prejudices of the time. Terrorized by a local gang of anti-Semitic Irish toughs, Michael and the rabbi are caught in an escalating spiral of hate for which there's only one way out -- a miracle....
Platforms: Book, Hoopla audio
Kelly
The Nourishing Homestead by Ben Hewitt
March is when the promise of spring seems to be in our thoughts and with that promise of spring comes thoughts of gardening. I am an avid gardener and this is one of my very favorite books. While it is very informative, it is also an interesting and entertaining account of one family's farming and gardening history.
Published in 2015, this book full of basic homesteading/gardening/animal husbandry and personal history is still very relevant. Ben and Penny Hewitt had lived up in Cabot, Vermont since 1998, raising two sons and creating a healthy homestead out of raw land. This process is so well documented in this book with words and photographs. Hewitt also has a regular column in Yankee Magazine, sharing tales of their unique lifestyle. Even if you're not interested in the full homesteading idea, there are so many great tips and tricks for gardening. Now is the time of year to add a bit more research and just curl up with an interesting book that will benefit efforts at creating this year's planting and possibly inspire some to try out foraging, basket making or fermenting food for storage for the first time. In any case, this one is worth a peek as I believe just about anyone can take away some kernel of wisdom from this family's experiences up in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
Platforms: book
Linda
Healthy in a Hurry; Milk Street The World in a Skillet; What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
Summary: Smorgasbord [Swedith] a wide range of something; a variety
After more than 50 years of cooking…maybe February is also a factor…I am weary of preparing meals. My taste buds are in search of new textures and flavors. In an attempt to garner enthusiasm for cooking and kick-start my taste buds, I perused the cookbook selection at the library and found inspiration in each book.
These books met my criteria in terms of: Simplicity, Nutrition, and Time
Let’s begin with a taste of summer from Healthy in a Hurry
Salmon Nicoise Potato and Green Bean Salad
My taste buds are looking forward to sampling this dish from MLK The World in a Skillet!
Kenyan Coconut Chicken
Breakfast any time of day is appealing and fun! What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking
Tater Tot Egg Bake
These and other cookbooks are waiting to inspire Winter Weary Cooks!
Platforms: book
Samantha
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
“Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…
Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspiring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn't know whom he can trust.
Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.
Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .” (goodreads.com).
Rating: 4/5 stars.
Platforms: book, Libby ebook/audio
Tricia
From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty
Written by a witty mortician, each chapter of this book visits a new location to look at the vastly different ways people around the world treat death.
Platforms: Book, Hoopla audiobook
Past Staff Picks
Staff picks February 2025
Staff picks January 2025
Staff picks December 2024
Staff picks November 2024
Staff picks October 2024
Staff picks September 2024