Spring Staff Picks
FICTION
That’s What Friends Are For by Wade Rouse: Theodore, Barry, Ron and Sid, currently in their 60’s -80’s, are trying to
live their best lives. They are a chosen family of friends and share a home in the glam Palm Springs California
desert. They share life’s ups and downs, manage jealousies and family dysfunction with wit and grace, tears and
tantrums. Teddy recently lost the love of his life, Barry is an actor looking for a comeback, Ron owns a vintage
clothing store and Sid is looking for something more. They also just happen to share a love of all things “Golden
Girls” and bless the town with their monthly drag show tribute “The Golden Gays.” If that weren’t enough to keep
them so very busy, Teddy’s estranged sister Trudy and her granddaughter wiggle into everyone’s life and secrets are
revealed. This is a wonderful story of love, family, forgiveness and community. Nancy’s Pick
Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton: In this darkly comedic horror novel, an exhausted mother thinks her newborn
might be a monster. This provocative exploration of familial debt, duty, and the darker side of motherhood was
hard for me to put down. Sarah B’s Pick
Take A Breath, Big Red Monster! By Ed Emberley: If you love the storytime hit Go Away Big Green Monster, you will
love this new version about another monster – but this time he is red and angry! Turning each page in this clever
story reveals colorful illustrations of different parts of the grumpy monster’s face, but the reader gets to calm him
down by taking deep breaths until even his orange hair disappears. This book is a fun, interactive way to teach
little ones how to work through anger and big emotions. Alena’s Pick
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger: A family experiences a fatal crash while traveling in their self-driving minivan, and
each individual family member reacts to the event with trauma, introspective speculations and differing
perceptions. The novel considers the impacts of technology on individual responsibility, accountability, and family
dynamics. Davonne’s Pick
The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley: Widely considered a masterpiece upon its publication in 1953, The Go-Between
seems to have become forgotten since. Yet the tale of Leo, an English schoolboy summering with a classmate on a
great English estate who is unwittingly enlisted as the messenger between two illicit lovers is a seductive, layered
tale bridging past and present and innocence and ruin. Ryan’s Pick
Variation by Rebecca Yarros: A captivating romance novel with hard kept secrets and hidden connections revealed
on every page. The story follows Hudson Ellis a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and Alessandra Rousseau a world famous ballerina as they both find themselves in their childhood hometown for the summer. They reconnect and rekindle the spark that began when they first met as teenagers while uncovering hidden family secrets that will impact their future and those they hold dear. I am not usually a big romance novel lover, but this one held my attention from start to finish! Stephanie’s Pick
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: This is an epistolary novel– that is, The Correspondent is told entirely through
letters and emails. It is a compelling, character-driven story. The main character, Sybil, struggles with her history,
things left undone and unsaid. Letters are Sybil’s preferred method of communication and confrontation. Through
this correspondence, a multilayered story and a complex character is revealed. A great book club choice. Sara S’s
Pick
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: Galadriel (El) is a student at Scholomance—a lethal school with automated
facilities instead of teachers where students must fight to survive monsters (mals) in order to make it to
graduation. El’s magical affinity is for dark, destructive magics though she chooses to use it for good in order to
remain a good person. A dark fantasy with social cliques, various magics, different ethnicity/races, prophecy and a
social outcast in a school setting. Book 1 of the Scholomance Trilogy. Carrie’s Pick
NON-FICTION
Weedless Gardening by Lee Reich: A game changing take on what it means to care for your garden. Using new, (or
rather old) ideas on the techniques that help prevent the growth of unwanted weeds while also truly caring for
your soil, the author helps the everyday gardener to cut down on cost and labor. There are many tips and tricks to
up production of your fruits and veggies without using expensive chemicals or any chemicals at all. Instead, the
author shows the benefits of learning the natural cycles of the plants you are trying to work with (or against) to
maintain a healthy garden with significantly less work than the “traditional” garden. Alyssa’s Pick
Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn: Can you imagine how you would react if, out of the blue, you received a letter
from a screen writer asking for help in locating your father because they were planning a film on your family’s
involvement in the Second World War? And what if you were told that your German American immigrant
grandparents were spies for the Axis powers in Oahu ahead of WWII, where their work aided in the attack on
Pearl Harbor? Jumping back and forth between Christine discovering her family’s secret and the untold past of the
spies in Germany, Japan, and Hawaii, this book is fast-paced history at its finest. Beth’s pick
The Siren’s Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource by Christopher L. Hayes: Building on the Sirens in Greek Mythology, the author compares the temptations of today’s technology, to the beautiful songs
of the Sirens who lure men to their deaths. The book discusses the tech companies which benefit financially by
constantly seeking our attention using increasingly invasive methods. These distractions disrupt our work,
relationships, society, and ultimately, the workings of the world. Davonne’s pick
Past Picks
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