Staff Choices

Water, a drop to be exact, begins this captivating novel. Elif Shafak takes us from the River Tigress to the Thames, from Mesopotamia to the present. She ties together the importance of water in so many lives throughout the centuries. It begins with King Ashurbanipal in the ancient kingdom of Nineveh, then moves onto a baby named Arthur, born in the slums along the Thames in 1840's London. Modern day stories intertwine with ancient tales with Narin, a young Yazidi girl in Turkey as well as Zaleekah a professor in London. These characters all seem to be struggling with their past as well as their futures, but each one has a relationship to the waterways that surround them. There are Rivers in the Sky intricately weaves together the way water connects us all through our histories and memories. And, it all begins with one drop. 

If you love a grand, epic tale that spans centuries, you will love this book. I certainly did.

 It is a compelling story but the spiritual journey of several of main characters towards acceptance is beautifully portrayed and not at all heavy handed or preachy. Once I started reading, I could not stop until I finished. Krueger does an excellent job in a few sentences of reminding the reader of who the main characters are and the back story without rehashing the previous stories. He also weaves in the tragedy of missing Native women and the destruction wrought by the greed of the oil industry. This is book 20 in the Cork O'Connor series.

After the tragic death of her dear friend, Sadie Green upends her life in Chicago by purchasing a bicycling touring company in France. Owning this type of business is a dream they both once shared. By following through, Sadie feels she is honoring her friend. But nothing is ever smooth on the road to starting a new enterprise, moving to a new country or learning a new language, or organizing a trek. Sadie and her tour participants quickly encounter the death of one of the cyclists . . . and so the mystery begins.

The tour has a diverse cast of characters including Sadie’s former colleagues from Chicago, her current employees and a man who poses as an incognito travel reviewer who all provide an interesting backdrop to how events unfold. Descriptions of picturesque countryside and famous landmarks had me looking at online maps to see where they were traveling. There is no need to be a cyclist to enjoy reading A Cyclists Guide to Crime & Croissants – just have a sense of adventure and want to try to figure out what happened.

This is the first book in the Cyclist’s Guide Mystery series. The second book is expected to be released in May 2025. Pick up a copy if you’re looking for a new cozy mystery to read, have visited France (or want to) or if you’ve enjoyed author Ann Claire’s Christie Bookshop Mysteries.

O.O. Sangoyomi’s debut novel, Masquerade is my top read of 2024, taking the lead right at the buzzer! Full of lush descriptions, feminine power and a satisfying end, this is a must read for fans of Greek mythology retellings.  

A very loose retelling of Persephone and Hades, Masquerade is set in pre-colonial West Africa. The story follows Òdòdó, a beautiful and talented blacksmith with the ability to make flowers from metal, as she is stolen from her homeland of Timbuktu and brought to the bustling city of Yorùbáland. Òdòdó has spent her life on the periphery, considered a witch and therefore low status. As the future queen of Yorùbáland, she winds a path of self-discovery; navigating a cutthroat world of power and prestige. 

If you enjoy Madeline Miller or Vaishnavi Patel, you’ll want to add this to your list. I couldn’t put it down! 

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater is a Gothic faerie tale set in a fantasy Victorian England. Winifred, or Winnie, an orphan pulled from a traumatic workhouse by a noble benefactor, is called away from London to Witchwood Manor as a favor to the dowager Lady Longfell, ostensibly to be a governess to the lady's grandson, Robert. In truth, Winnie is a black magician specializing in cartomancy, and her true task is to protect Robert from the faerie curse placed on the manor, which is tied to the mysterious Witchwood Knot. Armed with her wits, her magic, and her loyal ghostly feline familiar, Winnie's mission is complicated by the contrarian young Robert, his truly creepy father, and the mysterious butler-who-is-and-is-not a butler, Mr. Quincy.

This novel, the first in a series, draws on several mythologies for its inspiration--mostly from Celtic mythology, and a dash of Beauty and the Beast. Atwater's book is chock-full of detail; given the historical background she provides for her books, as well as her own personal interest in history, this was one of best parts in the book. This is also a book suited for fans of historical fantasy with a romantic subplot, or fans of romantasy with a subdued romance. Atwater does include a content warning at the beginning of the book, so wary readers are advised to glance at it before proceeding. Highlights of this book include its dark faerie tale elements and sardonic, witty heroine. Atwater's previous series (Regency Faerie Tales) may add extra world-building context.

Fans of Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Sarah J. Maas, and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert would likely enjoy this novel. 

Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah is a book about nostalgia and imagination, for readers of all ages, to be read solo or in the company of others. On the surface, it seems to be merely a whimsical story about a young boy and his wise teddy bear, Walter, who go on an adventure "into the uncut grass," the unknown lands beyond the boy's house, because the boy disagrees with his mother's rules. While it is indeed an adventure story, it is also a tale about seeing the world from other perspectives, and trying new ideas as a result. The snails and coins that the boy meets are reminiscent of Aesop's fables, while his other encounters hark back to childhood favorites, such as "We're Going on a Bear Hunt."

Inspired by his relationship with his own mother, Trevor Noah leans into his sentimental and thought-provoking perspectives to tell a story both heartwarming and poignant. The tone in this book is different from his humorous memoir, Born a Crime, but the effect is one of universality, rather than specificity. Everyone can take something away from this book, even if it's just a sudden desire for waffles.

Fans of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy; and Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne will likely enjoy Into the Uncut Grass, as will fans of cozy, feel-good adventure stories. (Readers who liked The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune may also enjoy the gnome cameo and the other quirky characters in this book.) Sabine Hahn's whimsical illustrations also bring to mind the works of Quentin Blake. 

Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters is a beautifully written novel that digs into the complexities of sisterhood and personal identity. Three highly dysfunctional estranged sisters—Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky—return to their New York family home a year after the unexpected loss of their beloved sister, Nicky. This story dives deep into the messiness of what happens when life doesn't turn out the way anyone expects. 

The story takes you on a raw, emotional journey, making you feel deeply connected to the character's struggles and growth. It explores how family can be both a source of strength and stress, especially when grappling with the pursuit of individual happiness. 

Having a sister of my own, I could relate to the complexities of sibling relationships and how important it is to resolve past issues and not let them fester. There are many topics this book delves into including endometriosis, addiction and estranged families.  Even though the story is an emotionally, heavy read with deep topics, I found it beautifully written and ultimately hopeful. My only complaint is that the chapters were excessively long which made it drag a little at times. If you liked Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano or dysfunctional family stories, you would enjoy Blue Sisters. 

I enjoy all the Easy Rawlins books especially the back stories of WW2 and Easy in his younger days. The description of LA and surrounding neighborhoods, the people, and social climate from 1948 thru 1970 are the real story. I especially enjoyed reading how Easy has transitioned and matured as a P.I now that he's in his 50's , great read.

Well. Every time I tried to predict how this book would go, it found a new way to surprise me. I still am not entirely sure I know how it ended.

To backtrack--Don't Let the Forest In is author C.G. Drews's YA horror debut. It follows high school student Andrew Perrault as he struggles through his senior year while dealing with entitled rich bullies, ambivalent teachers, and his twin sister Dove apparently avoiding him. Then, monsters attack from the creepy forest bordering the gothic private school, and the only person who can fight them off is Thomas Rye, for whom Andrew has some very complicated feelings (and they were roommates). As if all of that wasn't hard enough, Andrew also has crippling anxiety and regular panic attacks. Buckle in--this ride pulls no punches.

I really wanted to devour this book in one sitting, and I'm very glad I did. This is a story that will swallow the reader from chapter one; it isn't for the faint of heart. Drews does a fantastic job of combing dark fairy tales with the horror genre--the Brothers Grimm would be proud. From the Victorian architecture to the detailed descriptions of Thomas's artwork and Andrew's flash fiction stories--'papercuts,' he calls them--the reader is fully steeped in the horror experience. As Andrew also increasingly questions his own reality, the reader is right there with him, trying to sort out fact from fiction, constantly propelled forward by the tantalizing foreshadowing dropped around Andrew throughout the book. The desire to know more becomes almost a compulsion when paired with Drews's lyrical prose. Now that I've finished the novel, I want to immediately read it again!

With monsters galore, this is the perfect Halloween read, right up there with T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead. Fans of Holly Black and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert will enjoy the dark fairy tale tone and structure of this book, while fans of The Dead Boy Detectives and The Babadook will enjoy not just the horror/supernatural aspect, but also the queer associations. I, for one, loved the ace protagonist and will look forward to the next world C.G. Drews has in store.

Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones by Priyanka Mattoo is a memoir shared via essays, written by a woman born in the idyllic Kashmir region of India. She describes her life there, in India, Saudi Arabia, England and America. She speaks candidly about her life, her struggles to fit in, being nomadic because of her father's work, the typical growing pains as a young student and, most poignantly, about how traumatic the reasons were for being displaced from her beloved home when she was only 9 years old. Despite the cultural burdens that followed her into her adult life, her writing includes humor which balances out the weightiness of certain subjects. When she settles into her American life, marrying and raising her own family, one of the things she misses most is hearing the Kashmiri language being spoken at home. The author demonstrates such a capacity for resilience and a love of family.

This memoir will appeal to those who enjoy reading and learning about other cultures - often eye-opening and thought-provoking. Pick up a copy if you'd like to find out the meaning of the Kashmiri phrase bird milk and mosquito bones.