Lewis & Clark Library Blog

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

This book creatively and distinctly demonstrates the critical importance of stories and diversity on culture and humanity. Higuera does this in a way that speaks to all audiences, although it is specifically written for middle grade readers. It is the perfect blend of science fiction and dystopia while also being deeply personal and emotional. It follows a young teen named Petra Peña as she and her family board a ship to leave Earth before its imminent demise. She discovers what is important to keep from Earth as those around her eliminate what they want to erase from their past. This book is honestly incredible, and I was amazed at the message that could be portrayed through a book that is essentially meant for children. I encourage everyone to give it a try!
Find The Last Cuentista in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook (available in Spanish)
Read more about the author Here

Tyler recommends . . .

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven, published in 2014, is the eerily prescient story of our world following a global pandemic. Infrastructure has collapsed, civilization has crumbled.  The story follows a troupe of traveling actors, moving back and forth in time, vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic. I couldn't put this book down, nor did I want it to end. 
Find Station Eleven in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 Beth recommends . . .

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.”

Anything is a better love story than Twilight! While I may be inclined to agree with you, this novel is more than just another sappy YA romance novel. Through her use of supernatural beings, Meyers explores what it is like to be in a relationship with someone who has every ability to harm you, yet actively chooses not to. This is a reality many young women struggle with, the notion that their partner is inherently stronger and deadlier than them. Not only that, but Twilight began discussions about sexual assault and brutality. Emily, Rosalie, and Bella are all victims of gender based violence, something young women identify with, either from their own experiences or the experiences of their loved ones. In no way is this novel perfect, but Twilight allows for a safe place to engage in this nuanced reality in an entertaining and socially acceptable manner.
Find Twilight in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook 
Read more about the author Here

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

"Great fantasy novel featuring an ancient library hidden beneath the earth!"

 

Camden recommends . . .

As You Wish by Cary Elwes 

The Princess Bride is one of my all-time favorite movies and I doubt I'm alone in that. As You Wish is the story of that unforgettable movie shoot from the perspectives of the actors and crew who brought it to life. In the audiobook, you get to hear these stories in their own voices, with much of the original cast and crew reading aloud their portions of the book.  And the Princess Bride is one of those wonderful movies where, when the curtain is peeled back, only becomes even more magical and enchanting!
Find As You Wish in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby audiobook
Hoopla audiobook (Spanish)

Grizzly Confidential by Kevin Grange                                 New Nonfiction

Author Kevin Grange--former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton--comes face-to-face with North America's most fearsome predator, Ursus Arctos. His quest takes him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins; from the Bear Center at Washington State University--where scientists believe the secrets of hibernation might help treat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in humans--to the dark underbelly of for-profit wildlife parks, illegal animal trade and black markets hawking bear bile. Along the way, he meets fascinating biologists and activists and discovers that everything he knew about grizzlies was wrong. Ultimately, his odyssey leads him to find answers on a remote corner of the Alaskan Peninsula where, for the last fifty years, humans have coexisted peacefully alongside the largest gathering of brown bears on the planet.  Grizzly Confidential is about bears but also the inspiring people who look after them. This is a fast-paced, gripping story that educates, entertains, and gives a sneak peek into the secret life of a well-known species. Part science, part travelogue, and a passionate plea for bear conservation, Grizzly Confidential is a lively account for anyone who loves the outdoors and learning about the natural world.
Find Grizzly Confidential in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby  audiobook

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi                     Young adult fiction

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature! 
It's 2002, a year after 9/11. It's an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who's tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments--even the physical violence--she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she's built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother. But then she meets Ocean James. He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her--they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds--and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she's not sure she'll ever be able to let it down.
Find A Very Large Expanse of Sea in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook 
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen                        Creative nonfiction

Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These projects are vital to how we understand the world we really live in: where one nuclear missile begets one in return; where the choreography of the world's end requires massive decisions made on seconds-notice, with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have. Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking clock scenario, based on dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons; created the response plans; and been responsible for those decisions should they need to have been made. Nuclear War: A Scenario is unlike any other book in its depth and urgency.
Find Nuclear War in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:

Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel                               Science fiction

An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days following civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.  It is fifteen years after a flu pandemic wiped out most of the world's population. Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony, a small troupe moving over the gutted landscape, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. But when they arrive in the outpost of St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave. Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the disaster brought everyone here, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty, telling a story about the relationships that sustain us.
Find Station Eleven in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith                         Fantasy

In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren't finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.
Find The Library of the Unwritten in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

 

The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan                               Historical fiction

A heartrending, gripping novel about two sisters in Belle Époque Paris. 1878 Paris. Following their father's sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventeen francs a week, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola's naturalist masterpiece L'Assommoir. Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modeling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. There she meets a wealthy male patron of the ballet, but might the assistance he offers come with strings attached? Meanwhile Antoinette, derailed by her love for the dangerous Émile Abadie, must choose between honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde.  Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of "civilized society." In the end, each will come to realize that her salvation, if not survival, lies with the other.
Find The Painted Girls in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky                                Science fiction       

Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those young rebels who are compelled, in spite of extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone to collect the mysterious artifacts that the alien visitors left scattered around. His life is dominated by the place and the thriving black market in the alien products. But when he and his friend Kirill go into the Zone together to pick up a “full empty,” something goes wrong. And the news he gets from his girlfriend upon his return makes it inevitable that he’ll keep going back to the Zone, again and again, until he finds the answer to all his problems.

First published in 1972, Roadside Picnic is still widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction novels, despite the fact that it has been out of print in the United States for almost thirty years. This authoritative new translation corrects many errors and omissions and has been supplemented with a foreword by Ursula K. Le Guin and a new afterword by Boris Strugatsky explaining the strange history of the novel’s publication in Russia.
Find Roadside Picnic in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook 
Hoopla eBook 
Read more about the author Here

 

James by Percival Everett

James is a beautifully written retelling of the Huckleberry Finn adventures. The story is told from the point of view of Huck’s companion Jim. James tells a similar story, but with much more humanity and understanding than Twain could manage in 1885. Heartbreaking; at times funny; brutal; but always beautiful and revealing.
Find James in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

The Women by Kristin Hannah

This novel paints a stirring portrait of a woman’s experience not only of the Vietnam War, but the world following its end.  It is a tale of strength and determination, but also the fragility of human existence, both physically and emotionally. As always, Hannah’s attention to historical detail lends to a feeling of authenticity. I’d give this book five stars!
Find The Women in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

Clare . . .

A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko

In his signature style, Kevin Fedarko takes us along with him, as he and photographer Pete McBride, attempt to complete an end-to-end transvers of the Grand Canyon. Along the way we explore not only the scenery, but also the history and politics around the Canyon.  This book had me marveling at the immensity of the canyon itself as well as the odd human ability to think "oh how hard could that be?"  I'm ready for a vacation to the canyon, but perhaps just to peer admiringly over the edge.
Find A Walk in the Park in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

Terri . . .

North Woods by Daniel Mason
When two young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to growing apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths an ancient mass grave--only to discover that the earth refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister con man, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As the inhabitants confront the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive. This magisterial and highly inventive novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason brims with love and madness, humor and hope. Following the cycles of history, nature, and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we're connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about secrets and destinies, but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless question: How do we live on, even after we're gone?

Find North Woods in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

April . . .

My Beloved Monster (the half-wild cat who rescued me) by Caleb Carr

Caleb Carr has had special relationships with cats since he was a young boy in a turbulent household, famously peopled by the founding members of the Beat Generation, where his steadiest companions were the adopted cats that lived with him both in the city and the country. As an adult, he has had many close feline companions, with relationships that have outlasted most of his human ones. But only after building a three-story home in rural, upstate New York did he enter into the most extraordinary of all of his cat pairings: Masha, a Siberian Forest cat who had been abandoned as a kitten, and was languishing in a shelter when Caleb met her. She had hissed and fought off all previous carers and potential adopters, but somehow, she chose Caleb as her savior.   For the seventeen years that followed, Caleb and Masha were inseparable. Masha ruled the house and the extensive, dangerous surrounding fields and forests. When she was hurt, only Caleb could help her. When he suffered long-standing physical ailments, Masha knew what to do. Caleb's life-long study of the literature of cat behavior, and his years of experience with previous cats, helped him decode much of Masha's inner life. But their bond went far beyond academic studies and experience. The story of Caleb and Masha is an inspiring and life-affirming relationship for readers of all backgrounds and interests--a love story like no other.
Find My Beloved Monster in the library catalog
Read more about the author Here

 

Molly . . . 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This book shook me out of a reading rut and pushed me to read more books outside of my comfort zone. 

In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee--the chance to travel back in time. Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn't so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most important, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold.  Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi's internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time? 
Find Before the Coffee Gets Cold in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Lisa . . .

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There's only one problem--she's not married. She's never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they've been together for years. As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can't remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you've taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
Find The Husbands in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

 Holly . . .

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

I really enjoyed the Maisie Dobbs series by Jaqueline Winspear this year. It was such a pleasant surprise to read. The plot, characters, and setting were all very interesting. The writing was excellent. Plus the main character is not your usual heroine. I could see it as a really great PBS/BBC drama series. I could just see it all in my head.  I  read the first four books in the series.  
Find the Maisie Dobbs series in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBooks and audiobooks
Hoopla eBooks and audiobooks
Read more about the author Here
 

Emmon . . .

Iron Widow  by Xiran Jay Zhao

In a land both futuristic and based on Ancient China, Zetian has given up on living long --so she sets her sights on revenge, planning to kill her sister's murderer (a mecha pilot widely hailed as a celebrity war hero). The trouble is, Zetian is more powerful than she imagined, and the war is not what it seems.  I loved the dramatic, no-holds-barred fierceness of Zetian's character --and I loved that she pulled no punches in a world that is determined to diminish and destroy her.
Find Iron Widow in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

Deby . . .

A Brew to a Kill by Cleo Coyle

A shocking hit-and-run in front of her Village Blend coffeehouse spurs Clare Cosi into action. A divorced, single mom in her forties, Clare is also a dedicated sleuth, and she's determined to track down this ruthless driver who ran down an innocent friend and customer. In the meantime, her ex-husband Matt, the shop's globetrotting coffee buyer, sources some amazing new beans from Brazil. But he soon discovers that he's importing more than coffee, and Clare may have been the real target of that deadly driver. Can ex-husband and wife work together to solve this mystery? Or will their newest brew lead to murder?
A Brew to Kill is the eleventh book in the Coffeehouse mystery series by Cleo Coyle. This cozy mystery series is really great and there are recipes!
Find the Coffee House mystery series in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobooks
Read more about the author Here

Eric L. . . .

Uzumaki  by Junji Ito

One of my favorite books I've read this year is Uzumaki by Junji Ito.  It's a horror manga with beautiful, often grotesque artwork.  The horror aspect centers around the concept of a spiral, in both literal and figurative ways.  Often unsettling, it kept me hooked, wondering what twisted things the author was going to throw at me next.
Find Uzumaki in the library catalog
Read more about the author Here

 

 

Malin . . .

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

Warning: do not listen to this on audiobook while driving: it's so interesting, you won't be able to pay attention to the road! (I may possibly know from experience.) The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School follows a Latina teenager named Yamilet Flores as she transfers to a Catholic high school as a closeted lesbian. Yamilet is an incredibly lovable character, and I was so anxious for her at some points that I had to pause the audiobook and take some deep breaths. This book basically consumed my life until I finished it, and it was totally worth it. 10/10 recommend.
TW: This book deals with homophobia, racism, and mental illness. 
Find The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Eric W. . . .

Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV; Werther Dell'Edera (Illustrator)

Imagine being so terrified of the creature under the bed that you manifest that monster into life, and then it goes on a rampage and kills all of your friends and family. That's when Erica Slaughter rolls into town. Erica is part of a secret organization that dispatches such horrific creations before they escape into the wider world, where tales of things can be kept quiet. Both thrilling and terrifying, this title is not for the faint of heart.
Find Something is Killing the Children in the library catalog
Also available by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera for digital checkout:
Hoopla comics

 

 

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp

Enjoy this modern-day fairytale, akin to Grimm tales of old, as one sister attempts to do something kind for her sister and the pitfalls of capitalism and greed. A pro-union and pro-worker tale, rendered in lush detail should become a new household favorite at story time. And there are super-cute spiders!
Find Bog Myrtle in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Hoopla eBook 

 

Beth . . .

Knitting the National Parks by Nancy Bates

This is such a cool knitting book!  Featuring a unique beanie pattern inspired by each of the 63 US National Parks, this collection is so creative and fun.  I don't know how many of the hats I will actually make from this book, but it's fun looking at the variety of patterns as well as the gorgeous landscapes from the various parks.  I especially love the patterns for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, the Joshua Tree in California, and Glacier Bay (Alaska).  I read a lot of good books this year, but this long awaited knitting book brought me the most joy! 
Find Knitting the National Parks in the library catalog 

Bretagne . . .

Tiny Humans, Big Emotions by Alyssa Blask Campbell; Lauren Elizabeth Stauble

The Future is Emotionally Intelligent --Find this helpful book in the parenting section!
We're in the midst of a parenting revolution that is radically changing the way we raise our kids. Gone are the days of minimizing emotions: Don't Cry. You're Fine. Don't Make a Scene. As our understanding of developing brains has increased, today's parents are looking for a new way to help their children understand their feelings and learn to process them. Emotional development experts Alyssa Blask Campbell, M.Ed. and Lauren Stauble M.S. are at the forefront of a movement to foster little ones' emotional intelligence. Their revolutionary Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method has been a game changer for parents and educators, and now they are sharing it with readers in this indispensable guide.  Tiny Humans, Big Emotions provides the tools to tackle every sort of stressful child-rearing situation, including:
* What to do when your child throws a tantrum (it's not what you think!)
* Helpful scripts to handle any challenging moment like school refusal and bedtime resistance
* How to react when your child hits, punches, or bites
* Easy tips that help regulate your child's nervous system
* How to anticipate and end meltdowns before they even begin
Designed for all humans--tiny and big--this book shows caregivers of children how to handle their children's outbursts while empowering them to recognize and manage difficult feelings like anger, sadness, and shame, along with anxiety. All caregivers will find valuable insights and guidance in this book, especially those caring for children from infancy to age eight. Tiny Humans, Big Emotions equips adults with tools for emotional intelligence so they can respond with intention. This innovative, research-based approach teaches children self-regulation and empathy, even as it strengthens the parent-child relationship, setting the groundwork for a lifetime of emotional resilience and wellbeing.  This book is an essential, empathetic guide that will teach parents to notice their own habits and hold space for their tiny human's big emotions.
Find Tiny Humans, Big Emotions in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby audiobook

 

Thanks for reading the blog in 2024!  Now to get ready for next year.  Are you the kind of person who likes to set reading goals for the New Year? Stay tuned for some great tips on setting New Year's reading intentions.  

Connie recommends . . . 

Tell Me Everything  by Elizabeth Strout
It's autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives down the road in a house by the sea with her ex-husband, William. Together, Lucy and Bob go on walks and talk about their lives, their fears and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, is finally introduced to the iconic Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive's apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known--"unrecorded lives," Olive calls them--reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning. Brimming with empathy and pathos, Tell Me Everything is Elizabeth Strout operating at the height of her powers, illuminating the ways in which our relationships keep us afloat. As Lucy says, "Love comes in so many different forms, but it is always love."
Find Tell Me Everything in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Debbie recommends . . .

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Everyone in Fairview knows the story. Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger. 
Find A Good Girl's Guide to Murder in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Jessica recommends . . . 

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian and Jamie Graves are raised by their dissolute uncle in Missoula, Montana. There--after encountering a pair of barnstorming pilots passing through town in beat-up biplanes--Marian commences her lifelong love affair with flight. At fourteen she drops out of school and finds an unexpected and dangerous patron in a wealthy bootlegger who provides a plane and subsidizes her lessons, an arrangement that will haunt her for the rest of her life, even as it allows her to fulfill her destiny: circumnavigating the globe by flying over the North and South Poles. A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film that centers on Marian's disappearance in Antarctica. Vibrant, canny, disgusted with the claustrophobia of Hollywood, Hadley is eager to redefine herself after a romantic film franchise has imprisoned her in the grip of cult celebrity. Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian's own story, as the two women's fates--and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times--collide. Epic and emotional, meticulously researched and gloriously told, Great Circle is a monumental work of art, and a tremendous leap forward for the prodigiously gifted Maggie Shipstead.
Find Great Circle in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
In the spring of 2020, Lara's three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.
Find Tom Lake in the library catalog
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

An Air Force loadmaster in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan. An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. These four, and five other strangers--each summoned in different ways by trees--are brought together in a last and violent stand to save the continent's few remaining acres of virgin forest. In his twelfth novel, National Book Award winner Richard Powers delivers a sweeping, impassioned novel of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of--and paean to--the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, The Overstory unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, exploring the essential conflict on this planet: the one taking place between humans and nonhumans. There is a world alongside ours--vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe. The Overstory is a book for all readers who despair of humanity's self-imposed separation from the rest of creation and who hope for the transformative, regenerating possibility of a homecoming. If the trees of this earth could speak, what would they tell us? "Listen. There's something you need to hear."
Find The Overstory in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

The Light at the End of the World by Siddhartha Deb                        Historical Fiction

Delhi, the near future: a former journalist goes in search of answers after she finds herself stripped of identity and citizenship and thrust into a vast conspiracy involving secret detention centers, government sanctioned murders, online rage, nationalist violence, and a figure of shifting identifies known as the 'New Delhi Monkey Man.' Bhopal, 1984: an assassin hunts a whistleblower through a central Indian city that will shortly be the site of the worst industrial disaster in the world's history. Calcutta, 1947: a veterinary student's life and work connect him to an ancient Vedic aircraft. And in 1859, a detachment of British soldiers rides towards the Himalayas in search of the last surviving leader of an anti-colonial rebellion. These timelines interweave to form a kaleidoscopic, epic novel in which each section is a pursuit, centered around a character who must find or recover crucial but hidden truths in their respective time. The Light at the End of the World, Siddhartha Deb's first novel in fifteen years, is a magisterial work of shifting forms, reminiscent of Cloud Atlas and Underworld.
Find The Light at the End of the World in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich                                         Literary Fiction

Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new "emancipation" bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn't about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a "termination" that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans "for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run"? Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice's shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn't been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life. Thomas and Patrice live in this impoverished reservation community along with young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain and his mother Juggie Blue, her niece and Patrice's best friend Valentine, and Stack Barnes, the white high school math teacher and boxing coach who is hopelessly in love with Patrice. In The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.
Find The Night Watchman in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo                                                                       Fantasy

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position. What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen--and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor. Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive--even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.
Find The Familiar in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren                                                     Romance

Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion...she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas. Olive braces herself for wedding hell, determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren't affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there's a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo. Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is...Olive doesn't mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be. 
Find The Unhoneymooners in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook (in Spanish)
Read more about the author Here

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown                                               Nonfiction

For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times--the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington's eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys' own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man's personal quest.
Find The Boys in the Boat in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook 

Jen recommends . . .

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

Vienna, 1938. Samuel Adler is five years old when his father disappears during Kristallnacht--the night his family loses everything. As her child's safety becomes ever harder to guarantee, Samuel's mother secures a spot for him on a Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England. He boards alone, carrying nothing but a change of clothes and his violin.

Ellie recommends . . .

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. As she grew up, moving to the East Coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, and performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her. Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Zauner's voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, and complete with family photos, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.
Find Crying in H Mart in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby  eBook and Audiobook
Boundless Audiobook

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

In 1943, Irene Woodward abandons an abusive fiancé in New York to enlist with the Red Cross and head to Europe. She makes fast friends in training with Dorothy Dunford, a towering Midwesterner with a ferocious wit. Together they are part of an elite group of women, nicknamed Donut Dollies, who command military vehicles called Clubmobiles at the front line, providing camaraderie and a taste of home that may be the only solace before troops head into battle.

The Wager by David Grann

"For readers of Patrick O'Brian and anyone who enjoys high adventure!" 

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

 "This is chilling non-fiction, about the Osage during the 1920s. The author presents his research in a very readable narrative; it reads like a novel, actually. Neither I nor my husband could put it down."

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

"Fascinating, remarkable true-crime story." 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

"Desmond presents a gripping, thoroughly-researched, fast-paced examination of poverty's creation in and impacts on a wealthy, post-industrial society - and, more importantly, of concrete steps one can take towards poverty abolition in America." 

Press Reset by Jason Schreier

"A deeply researched and well narrativized account of the volatility within the video game industry and the effects it has on the very real people working on our favorite games. Schreier gives us a sobering look at the many dysfunctions of management, but also spends time highlighting the grit and heart of the developers. If you enjoyed Schreier's last writings, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, this will be a surefire hit. Bonus points for a strong union message."

Moldilocks and the Three Scares by Lynne Marie; David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Illustrator)

"Since fall is around the corner this book is the big hit in our house right now with both the 2 ½  year old and the 5 year old. The kids have told me they like it is because it's very colorful and silly. They also like that the little girl finds a happy home in the end." 

Forget Goldilocks and the three bears--MOLDILOCKS and the THREE SCARES are here, in a delightful new version of the popular story. Papa Scare (a monster), Mama Scare (a mummy), and Baby Scare (a vampire) live in a haunted house where they eat finger sandwiches and alpha-bat soup. One night, they go out to walk their dog (a bloodhound, of course) to let their soup cool down. While they're away, in walks the zombie Moldilocks, looking for food, a chair, and a bed that's just right. Kids will love this hauntingly funny story with its surprise ending!
Moldilocks and the Three Scares is not currently available in library catalog, but you can enjoy a recorded reading Here

Ten Little Pirates by Mike Brownlow; Simon Rickerty (Illustrator)

"Every time we read it the kids giggle at the new things they spot in the pictures, and they love the rhyming aspect of the story. This book is their very favorite!"

Ten little pirates set out to sea in search of adventure. But soon they encounter a bit more adventure than they expected. What will happen when they meet a hurricane ... and a hungry shark ... and a GIANT SQUID? This fun-filled rhyming story, which incorporates counting backwards from ten to one, is great to share with young children who are learning about numbers. The colorful, humorous illustrations feature objects to spot and count on every page. With a bouncy, rhythmic text and lots of great sound words, this book is perfect for sharing again and again.
Ten Little Pirates is not currently available in library catalog, but you can enjoy a recorded reading Here

 

Holly recommends . . .

Cinderella--With Dogs! by Linda Bailey; Freya Hartas (Illustrator)

"This is a hilarious re-telling of Cinderella featuring a dog-loving kingdom and the most fabulous, far-out fairy DOG-mother ever! Great illustrations. Recommended for 3 -7 year olds."

Here is a Cinderella story like no other. When Cinderella wishes for a fairy godmother, she's not expecting one that barks! And this fairy dogmother has a different agenda. Yes, Cinderella will have a new dress, but made of a cozy dog blanket. Yes, they will go to the ball, but they will run there and chase squirrels along the way. There's nothing like a canine companion to get a girl out of the house and her mind off her troubles! Yes, indeed, dogs do make everything better-and are a reminder that you don't need "happily ever after" when you have the joy of now. Readers will get a kick out of this retelling with its lovable cast of characters and refreshing ending.
Find Cinderella--with DOGS! in the library catalog Here

 

Maddy recommends . . .

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons (Author/Illustrator)

"I love all the books by Gail Gibbons--and there are sooo many! This author is so great, I think she picks a topic she wants to write about and boom! What a great life she must have!"

In this cheerfully-illustrated, simply-presented book, children can learn about the growth cycle and many varieties of pumpkins, and even how to plant their own.  Award-winning author Gail Gibbons also relates the special role pumpkins played in the first Thanksgiving, the history behind carving pumpkins into jack'o'lanterns, and how pumpkins are still part of our celebrations today. The book features bold, clearly-labeled illustrations, directions for drying seeds, and even how to carve funny or scary faces into your pumpkin (with an adult's help), along with a fascinating section on pumpkin facts and lore. Perfect for aspiring farmers and kids who can't wait for Halloween! 
Find all the Gail Gibbons books in descending chronological order in the library catalog Here

 

April recommends . . .

A Thousand Glass Flowers by Evan Turk (Author/Illustrator)

"This book is recommended for 4-8 year olds, but even as an adult, I think it is an amazing book.  The dynamic illustrations, the history lesson on Venetian glass, the protagonist's real life success story, and the wonder of creating something really beautiful—you just need to read it!"

Miles recommends . . .

Fuzz by Mary Roach    (2021)

What's to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. Roach tags along with animal-attack forensics investigators, human-elephant conflict specialists, bear managers, and "danger tree" faller blasters. Intrepid as ever, she travels from leopard-terrorized hamlets in the Indian Himalaya to St. Peter's Square in the early hours before the pope arrives for Easter Mass, when vandal gulls swoop in to destroy the elaborate floral display. She taste-tests rat bait, learns how to install a vulture effigy, and gets mugged by a macaque. Combining little-known forensic science and conservation genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as much about humanity as about nature's lawbreakers. When it comes to "problem" wildlife, she finds, humans are more often the problem--and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in our ever-expanding human habitat.
Find it in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Montana Library2Go/Libby app eBook 
Other titles by Mary Roach available through Libby, Axis 360, and Hoopla

 

 

Living Untethered by Michael A. Singer    (2022)

Now more than ever, we're all looking to feel more joy, happiness, and deeper meaning in our lives. But are we looking in all the wrong places? When our sense of wholeness depends on things or people outside ourselves--whether it's a coveted job, a new house, a lavish vacation, or even a new relationship--sooner or later we're bound to feel unsatisfied. That's why we must look inside for real freedom, love, and inspiration. But how do we embark on this inner journey? Living Untethered is the book to reach for. At once profoundly transcendent and powerfully practical, it provides clear guidance for moving beyond the thoughts, feelings, and habits that keep you stuck--so you can heal the pain of the past and let your spirit soar. On each page, you'll discover a deeper understanding of where your thoughts and emotions come from, and how they affect your natural energy flow. Finally, you'll find freedom from the psychological scars, or samskaras, that block you and keep you from reaching your highest potential. It's time to stop struggling and start experiencing. This miraculous book will show you how to put the spiritual teachings of Michael A. Singer into practice every day, and propel you toward a life of liberation, serenity, openness, and self-knowledge. Isn't it time you started Living Untethered?   
Find it in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Montana Library2Go/Libby app eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook

Bean by Bean: a Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon

"The author clearly states how important beans are--often overlooked and underappreciated, beans can be the main part of a meal. Don't let the 175 recipes intimidate you, the recipes are so clear and uncomplicated--and delicious!"

Duck, Duck, Goose by Hank Shaw

A lush, illustrated cookbook devoted to preparing and cooking ducks and geese, both domestic and wild, from the author of the award-winning blog: Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Duck is having a renaissance in American restaurants and kitchens as cooks discover that diverse breeds, species, and cuts of meat offer an exciting range of flavors and textures. Many cooks-and even hunters-have a fear of cooking fowl. Duck, Duck, Goose shows you how to cook duck and goose like a pro- perfectly crisp skin crackling with each bite, succulent confit, impeccable prosciutto, and more. Hank Shaw, an award-winning food writer, hunter, and cook on the forefront of the marsh-to-table revolution, provides all you need to know about obtaining, cleaning, and cooking these flavorful birds. Duck, Duck, Goose includes detailed guides on species and breeds, selecting a duck in the market, and plucking and hanging a wild bird. Shaw's delicious and doable recipes include basics such as Grilled Duck Breast and Slow-Roasted Duck; international favorites like Duck Pho, Sichuan Fragrant Duck, Mexican Duck with Green Mole, and Cassoulet; and celebration-worthy fare such as Perfect Roast Goose. It also features an array of duck and goose confit and charcuterie, from fresh sausages to dry-cured salami. The most comprehensive guide to preparing and cooking both domestic and wild ducks and geese, Duck, Duck, Goose will be a treasured companion for anyone who wants to free themselves from the tyranny of chicken and enjoy perfectly cooked waterfowl.

Find Duck, Duck, Goose in the library catalog Here

Nom Nom Paleo - Let's Go! by Michelle Tam; Henry Fong

"I highly recommend checking out Michelle Tam's unique cooking guides to paleo or paleo-ish cooking. She has two previously published cookbooks in this series. Great photographs and illustrations make this family-oriented cookbook a favorite"

Michelle Tam and Henry Fong know that the healthiest meal is the one you make yourself, so they're all about getting you off your butts and into the kitchen. Whether you're cooking for yourself, whipping up a family dinner, or preparing a special-occasion feast, Nom Nom Paleo: Let's Go! will inspire you with deliciously nourishing meals. Weeknight suppers should be healthy and flavor-packed but also fast and simple. Weekends and celebrations, on the other hand, are the perfect excuse to craft elevated (but easy!) crowd-pleasers. This cookbook offers crazy-delicious recipes for all occasions, and every single one is free of grains, gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Better yet? No one in your family will notice what's missing! As always, Nom Nom Paleo's recipes reflect the diverse cuisines Michelle grew up with and culinary ideas from her travels. Often Asian-inspired, Michelle's unfussy recipes maximize flavor, optimize whole foods, and are presented with photos of each step so they're absolutely foolproof - even for novice cooks! New recipes include: Cantonese Roast Duck, Nom Nom Chili, Crisp Bacon Cheeseburger, Casserole Chicken Karaage, Instant Pot Balsamic Beef Stew, Paleo-Friendly Cream Puffs.  So what are you waiting for? LET'S GO!
Find Let's Go in the library catalog Here

 

 Deby recommends . . .

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-Prepped, and Easy Comfort Foods  by Tieghan Gerard

"Everyone must try Grown Up Tomato Parmesan Pasta!"

We all want to make and serve our loved ones beautiful food, but we shouldn't have to work so hard to do it. With Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, Tieghan Gerard has solved that problem. On her blog and in her debut cookbook, Tieghan is beloved for her freshly sourced, comfort-food-forward recipes that taste even better than they look. Half Baked Harvest Super Simple takes what fans loved most about Half Baked Harvest Cookbook and distills it into quicker, more manageable dishes, including options for one-pot meals, night-before meal prep, and even some Instant Pot or slow cooker recipes. Using the most important cooking basics, you'll whip up everyday dishes like Cardamom Apple Fritters, Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, and Lobster Tacos to share with your family, or plan stress-free dinner parties with options like Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon and Fresh Corn and Zucchini Summer Lasagna. Especially for home cooks who are pressed for time or just starting out, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is your go-to for hassle-free meals that never sacrifice taste.
Find  Half Baked Harvest Super Simple in the library catalog Here

 

Katy recommends . . .

Dinner Then Dessert: Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5, or 7 Ingredients by Sabrina Snyder

"Great traditional American food with some lightly exotic flavors and dishes. Everything I have cooked from this book has been lovely, easy, and mild enough for my whole family to eat. The author also has an excellent website where they include variations of the recipes for different methods of cooking, like a crock pot instead of a Dutch oven for example. My favorite recipe (so far) is Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apricots."

Learn how to make easy, practical, mouth-watering meals in this first-ever cookbook featuring over 100 full-color photos from the genius chef behind the very successful, no-nonsense food website Dinner Then Dessert. "How do you make interesting and tasty meals for every member of the family?" That question inspired former private chef and mom Sabrina Snyder to post practical, reliable, and taste-tested recipes to the website she created, Dinner Then Dessert. Five years later, her website is one of the biggest food sites in America with millions of monthly views and more than 900,000 followers on social media. Incredibly, Sabrina's famous Philly Cheese Steak recipe, which she posted the day before the Super Bowl, racked up 45,000 hits within the first five minutes! Now, in Dinner Then Dessert, Sabrina has selected some her favorite dishes from her vast trove of recipes, along with new fare to help cooks of all levels get great meals on the table every member of the family will love. Sabrina knows that cooking delicious meals day after day can be a challenge, even for professional chefs. Add in picky eaters, dietary restrictions, a busy schedule, and children, and it feels easier to order take out. But cooking at home doesn't have to be difficult or boring. Inside Dinner Then Dessert you'll find flexible fail-safe recipes; 3, 5, and 7 ingredient meals; skillet dinners; classic side dishes, slow-cooker recipes, irresistible desserts, and more. Enjoy sausage and fennel pasta, salmon with plum sauce, garlic honey chicken, easy breezy pot roast, sweet and spicy tilapia, roast pork loin, steak and potato hash, vegetable green curry, cilantro lime shrimp, and much, much more. Serve them up with tasty sides, including easy Mexican rice and rotisserie chicken potatoes, as well as flavorful desserts such as Nutella brownies and salted caramel chocolate tart. Dinner Then Dessert is packed with more than 100 full-color photos, easy-to-follow directions that teach you how to cook each recipe to match your skill level, variations of recipes made with ingredients you have on-hand, and advice on the best ingredients to stock your fridge and pantry. With Dinner Then Dessert, you'll never have to struggle over what to make for dinner again!
Find Dinner then Dessert in the library catalog Here

Lisa recommends . . .

The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen (Editor)

Cakes are the all-occasion dessert--the center of attention at birthdays, holiday celebrations, and dinner parties, and the most welcome brunch, after-school, or teatime snack. America's Test Kitchen's first all-cake book is the definitive guide to any cake you crave from Classic Pound Cake to enjoy anytime to a stunning and impressive Blueberry Jam Cake with brilliant jam stripes and ombre frosting. In addition to foolproof recipes are features that make towering 24-layer Hazelnut- Chocolate Crape Cake as approachable as Applesauce Snack Cake. Sidebars include step-by-step photography for cakes with more advanced techniques like piping the ribbons of frosting that help give beautiful Rhubarb Ribbon Cake its name. Our years of test kitchen knowledge on the art and science of baking cakes provide all the tips and tricks you need for executing perfect cakes every time.
Find The Perfect Cake in the library catalog Here 

 

We hope you'll find plenty to satisfy your appetite in the cookbook section of our wonderful library. As always, if you need help finding anything at the library, just ask-- we are here to serve you. Below are a few cookbook-related photos from Kady, Beth, Terri, Lisa and Holly.

 

Suzanne recommends . . .

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

"It's an oldie, but goodie.  The movie is fantastic!"

Magic, fantasy, and love at first sight figure in this tale about four generations of Massachusetts sisters.

Find Practical Magic in the library catalog Here

Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

 

 

 

 

Kadie recommends . . .

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
The tale of two women: the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth, who ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, back in the thirties. Their southern-style cafe offered good barbecue, good coffee, and all kinds of love and laughter--not to mention an occasional murder.

Kadie says, "I love this book. The story is funny and sad and poignant.  Idgie is such a great character."

Find Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (book & movie) in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

 

 

Michelle  recommends . . .

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South--and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father--a crusading local lawyer--risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Find it in the library catalog Here 
Montana Library2Go/Libby  audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Axis 360 eBook and audiobook
Read more about Harper Lee Here

 

Camden recommends . . .

World War Z by Max Brooks

This gripping story of the Zombie War, told through interviews with the survivors, is unlike any other zombie tale.  With its international perspective, focus on realism, and immense cast of colorful characters, World War Z transcends its classic horror roots and becomes an epic tale of humanity's drive to survive and thrive. World War Z should never have been made into a movie; it should have been a mockumentary.
Find it in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

 

 

 

Rachel recommends . . .

The King's Grave by Philippa Langley; Michael Jones           (nonfiction)
The first full-length book about the discover of Richard III's remains by the person who led the archeology team and the historian whose book spurred her on The mystery of who Richard III really was has fascinated historians, readers and audiences familiar with Shakespeare's dastardly portrait of a hunchback monster of royalty for centuries. Earlier this year, the remains of a man with a curving spine, who possible was killed in battle, were discovered underneath the paving of a parking lot in Leicester, England. Phillipa Langley, head of The Richard III Society, spurred on by the work of the historian Michael Jones, led the team of who uncovered the remains, certain that she had found the bones of the monarch. When DNA verification later confirmed that the skeleton was, indeed, that of King Richard III, the discovery ranks among the great stories of passionate intuition and perseverance against the odds. The news of the discovery of Richard's remains has been widely reported by the British as well as worldwide and was front page news for both theNew York Times andThe Washington Post. Many believe that now, with King Richard III's skeleton in hand, historians will finally begin to understand what happened to him following the Battle of Bosworth Field (twenty miles or so from Leicester) and, ultimately, to know whether he was the hateful, unscrupulous monarch of Shakespeare's drama or a much more benevolent king interested in the common man. Written in alternating chapters, with Richard's 15th century life told by historian Michael Jones (author of the critically acclaimed Bosworth - 1485) contrasting with the 21st century eyewitness account of the search and discovery of the body by Philippa Langley, The King's Grave will be both an extraordinary portrait of the last Plantagenet monarch and the inspiring story of the archaeological dig that finally brings the real King Richard III into the light of day.

Rachel says, "The movie is The Lost King  and the book is The King's Grave by Phillippa Langley. Both describe the process in which Langley fought and ultimately was victorious in finding the bones of the last English King to die in battle: Richard III. The coolest part for me was how Ms. Langley visited the car park in Leicester early in her search and got a feeling in her bones that she was standing over Richard's final resting place and looked down to see an "R" painted on the pavement. Talk about chills!"
Find The King's Grave in the library catalog Here     
Hoopla audiobook

Terri recommends . . .

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian

It is the dawn of the nineteenth century; Britain is at war with Napoleon's France. Jack Aubrey, a young lieutenant in Nelson's navy, is promoted to command of H.M.S. Sophie, an old, slow brig unlikely to make his fortune. But Captain Aubrey is a brave and gifted seaman, his thirst for adventure and victory immense. With the aid of his friend Stephen Maturin, ship's surgeon and secret intelligence agent, Aubrey and his crew engage in one thrilling battle after another, their journey culminating in a stunning clash with a mighty Spanish frigate against whose guns and manpower the tiny Sophie is hopelessly outmatched.

Terri says, "I loved the book Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. The movie was also good, but not great. Master and Commander is great adventure, characters, friendship and humor. The author makes geography and history spellbinding."

Find Master and Commander in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Tyler recommends . . .

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 

"An oldie, but a heartbreaking goodie."

The original US edition of the masterpiece of war literature depicting the plight of German soldiers during World War I--now an Oscar-nominated Netflix film.   From the perspective of Paul Bäumer, a young German soldier in World War I, comes an unsettling tale of the mundanity and misery of trench warfare on the Western Front. When Paul and his comrades volunteer for the Imperial German Army, pressured into this act of patriotism by idealistic parents and a steely schoolmaster, they quickly learn that the authorities they trusted to shape their minds and guide their growth were condemning them to unimaginable danger and squalor, in the name of duty to an old world in its death throes.   Bombarded by shells and bombs, by horror after horror, Paul absorbs the sordid lessons of combat and reflects upon the strangers on the arbitrary other side, transformed into enemies by a distant "word of command." With timeless insight and searing prose, Erich Maria Remarque draws readers into the embattled consciences of soldiers on the frontlines, enlivening a tragic story with characters whose survival one hopes for against all odds. 
Find All Quiet on the Western Front in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla audiobook
Read more about the author Here

 

Larissa recommends . . .

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The stark and beautiful romance of a governess and the master of a house with long-kept secrets. After a sad and neglected childhood as an orphan, Jane Eyre is hired by Edward Rochester as governess for his ward. Jane is pleased with the quiet country life at Thornfield, with the beautiful old manor house and gardens, with the book-filled library, and with her own comfortable room. But there are stories of a strange tenant, a woman who laughs like a maniac, and who stays in rooms on the third floor. The moody Rochester rebuffs her attempts to find discover more, ordering her to keep silent on the matter. An unlikely relationship blooms between the two, however, and Jane is thrilled to accept Rochester's proposal of marriage. But the quiet ceremony is shockingly halted by a stranger who claims that Rochester was already married--to the raving maniac Jane had heard crying in the house. Grief-stricken, Jane flees from Thornfield, feeling that her life is over before it has really begun. Can she ever hope to find a comfortable life again--or even dare to dream of a happily ever after? 
Larissa says, "This is my favorite book from my teenage years. I've never had a 'favorite' book since; tons of books I've loved, but none I've called a favorite. Maybe it's the crazy woman theme that I didn't particularly understand at the time, but that I do understand on another level today. The rich character development and setting really appealed--and still does--to my imagination. A classic I'll always adore."

Find Jane Eyre in the library catalog Here

Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook

Read more Charlotte Brontë Here

 

 

Millie recommends . . .

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry; Katherine Woods (Translator)

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
A wonderful book and show is The Little Prince. As you follow the story of this odd individual and the lessons he learns on his way. Children have inherently sought knowledge; they delve into everything willing to explore of facet of it. They do not allow their preconceived notions to cloud their actions like narrow minded adults. This exploration of the world around allows for great personal growth and substantial introspection. Another great lesson to be found in this story is the acknowledgment that loneliness is not due to the amount of people around you, only the quality of the relationships you possess. You can still be lonely, despite being surrounded. This harsh isolation is juxtaposed with the depth of love in its true nature. There is much you can take from this book, with its unique characters and circumstances, and they are all up to your perceptions.
Find The Little Prince in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about Antoine De Saint-Exupéry Here

 

 

Deby recommends . . .

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

For fans of Old Yeller and Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man's best friend. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he's finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own--Old Dan and Little Ann--he's ecstatic. It doesn't matter that times are tough; together they'll roam the hills of the Ozarks. Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan's brawn, Little Ann's brains, and Billy's sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters--now friends--and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.   
"I picked this book up to read as an adult. Please note: have a box of tissue at all times," says Deby.

Find Where the Red Fern Grows in the library catalog Here
Montana Library2Go/Libby  eBook and audiobook
Hoopla film
Read more about the Wilson Rawls  Here

 

 

Do you have a favorite book that was made into a movie? Tell us about it.

Imaginable by Jane McGonigal

"Reading this book is like sitting down with a creative, optimistic friend--and getting up as a new version of yourself."      --Daniel H. Pink
                                                                                                                                                                      
World-renowned future forecaster, game designer, and bestselling author Jane McGonigal gives us the tools to imagine the future without fear.  The COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly frequent climate disasters, a new war -- events we might have called "unimaginable" or "unthinkable" in the past are now reality. Today it feels more challenging than ever to feel unafraid, hopeful, and equipped to face the future with optimism. How do we map out our lives when it seems impossible to predict what the world will be like next week, let alone next year or next decade? What we need now are strategies to help us recover our confidence and creativity in facing uncertain futures. In Imaginable, Jane McGonigal draws on the latest scientific research in psychology and neuroscience to show us how to train our minds to think the unthinkable and imagine the unimaginable. She invites us to play with the provocative thought experiments and future simulations she's designed exclusively for this book, with the goal to: 

• Build our collective imagination so that we can dive into the future and envision, in surprising detail, what our lives will look like ten years from now
• Develop the courage and vision to solve problems creatively
• Take actions and make decisions that will help shape the future we desire
• Access "urgent optimism," an unstoppable force within each of us that activates our sense of agency

Imaginable teaches us to be fearless, resilient, and bold in realizing a world with possibilities we cannot yet imagine--until reading this transformative, inspiring, and necessary book.

Find Imaginable in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Hoopla audiobook

Have you read Imaginable? Will you read it? Leave a comment above.

Border Crossings by Emma Fick

This non-fiction graphic novel portrays one western couple's epic journey across Mongolia and into Russia, with vignettes on the history and culture of both countries. The author (and illustrator) captures the highs and lows of international travel, accompanied by marvelous drawings of local attractions, people, and food.