Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

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This is a very sweet story about friendship and finding a new way out of loneliness.

Sipsworth is a love story about a woman and a mouse. Reason suggests that such a relationship couldn’t possibly work, and yet I found myself pulling for this unlikely duo on every page. Simon Van Booy’s characters are loaded with charm, resilience, and the deep desire for connection that all mammals share. I loved it.”—Ann Patchett

“A memorable story about serendipity—and what can happen when we keep our hearts open to surprise.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Whimsical, beautifully detailed, and filled with heart, Sipsworth is a slim, sparkling jewel of a novel.”—Christina Baker Kline

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Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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Nnedi Okorafor is a prolific science fiction author whose books often incorporate her Nigerian heritage. This was my first time reading her, and I can see why she is an acclaimed, award-winning writer. Death of the Author is the story of Zelu, who achieves success after publishing a novel about robots (a book we also read throughout this story). Unable to walk from a childhood fall, Zelu begins to incorporate futuristic technology into her own life. A hard book to describe, but well worth the read! 

“There’s more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

“Okorafor’s book bounces between the novel (about the writer) and the novel-within-the novel (about the robots), and the result is an ambitious blend of genres.” — NPR

“Nnedi Okorafor is so ferociously talented that we are starting to see she cannot be boxed into any category or genre. Her new novel, Death of the Author, is a deeply felt dazzle. A blaze. It is true deep to the bones.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels

“A captivating Möbius strip of literary SF.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“[Her work is] irresistible to readers. Her nearly two dozen works of fiction have earned Okorafor a slew of honors—four Hugos, a Nebula, a World Fantasy Award. And a new generation of American storytellers who explicitly use their African heritage, history and mythology to inspire their work have followed in her wake, including Tomi Adeyemi, Ayana Gray, Jordan Ifueko and Namina Forna. . . . Connection is the heartbeat of Okorafor’s work.” — New York Times, 12 African Artists Leading a Culture Renaissance Around the World

“Okorafor explores what it means to be human. . . . All-out Okorafor – her best yet.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Death of the Author explores . . . conservationism, Africanfuturism, and what a world without humans could look like. The focus on the near future and the issues that Zelu faces give the postapocalyptic Rusted Robots a greater urgency. Her desire to live life on her own terms will engage readers who love to watch protagonists grow. Highly recommended for fans of Octavia Butler, Nicky Drayden, and Tade Thompson. . . . [Okarofor’s] latest book-within-a-book will attract genre and literary fiction fans alike.” — Booklist(starred review)

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Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis

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Don’t let the bland cover fool you.  This was a fascinating read.  My favorite chapters were the cybercrime/bitcoin stellar work of the IRS career man, the coal mine inventor working for the Labor Department, and the jet propulsion researcher at NASA. But not one chapter disappointed. A+ read!

“Perhaps never before has there been a book better timed or more urgent.” —Washington Post

“Michael Lewis has this incredible ability to zoom in on one person’s story, and from there reveals something much bigger about our culture. His books leave you seeing the world differently, and his books about federal workers are no exception.” —Katie Couric

“A spirited rebuttal to the canard that federal civil servants are nest-featherers up to no good. . . .

All the contributions. . . press the point that the government’s work is useful—and no one else but government workers are likely to do it. Compelling arguments against ideologues bent on dismantling the government.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Going Home by Ted Lamont

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Not often do we find a book that nails male friendship…..spot on….and so funny!  

“Going Home is a sparkling, funny, bighearted story of family and what happens when three men—all of whom are completely ill-suited for fatherhood—take charge of a toddler following an unexpected loss” –  Amazon

“A trio of unlikely British men are tasked with unexpected fatherhood duties in the care of a delightfully inquisitive 4-year-old named Joel. The novel’s unforgettable characters and emphasis on caregiving and friendship spread a poignant and joyful message.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“There is so much to love about this book, foremost the poignantly, sometimes painfully detailed portrait of 30-something guys….Joel himself—his way of speaking, his tantrums, his predilections, his memory—is one of the most vivid fictional children since Jack in Room….Their synagogue has a new rabbi, a woman named Sibyl Challis, who is also the best rabbi character in recent memory….A great premise, a great story, but most of all, great characters.”Kirkus (starred review)

“Funny and poignant, bittersweet and moving…. Going Home made me cry on more than one occasion, and laugh out loud many more times. It’s a terrific reminder that what binds us to our loved ones isn’t blood but the care we take to keep them close, and our ability to show up for them when we screw it up on the first go-round.”—Isaac Fitzgerald, The New York Times

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From Here to the Great Unknown: a Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

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Before she died, Lisa Marie Presley asked her daughter Riley Keough to help write her autobiography. After Lisa Marie passed, Riley used hours of her mother’s recordings to complete the book. Without knowing much about the Presley family before reading this, I was moved by Lisa’s story and her family bonds. I recommend the audiobook.

“Instead of tap dancing around the hard parts, we’re drilling into the bedrock. We hear less from Presley and more from Keough, who comes across as level headed, valiant and kind. . . . Keough approaches the episode with respectful levity, the best tool available to members of a dysfunctional family. . . . Presley still gets a word in here and there, and these passages show how determined she was to stand up to her demons.”The New York Times

“When her actor daughter, Riley Keough, writes that she wants Lisa Marie to emerge from the pages of the memoir as a ‘three-dimensional character’, she’s not kidding . . . it’s clear that Presley was nothing if not radically honest. It’s also striking how Keough seems to almost plead with the reader to understand and love her mother as much as she does. Ultimately, this is a book built on grief: Lisa Marie Presley’s for her father and son, but also a daughter’s for her mother.”The Guardian

“The book is of two minds: It’s an unadorned, conversational memoir that’s more matter of fact than gossipy, little interested in preserving what her father’s biographer Peter Guralnick once called ‘the dreary bondage of myth.’ And it’s a frank, almost unbearably heavy meditation on grief. . . . Stunningly candid . . . Both women write gracefully about the unbearable, immovable heaviness of grief. Keough’s portrait of her mother in her final months is especially indelible. ‘I had mistakenly thought she was so strong-minded that nothing could ever truly hobble her,’ she writes. ‘But of course it could. Enough pain can hobble anyone.’”The Washington Post

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Isola: a Novel by Allegra Goodman

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In 1500s France, orphaned Marguerite is dependent on her guardian, who forces her to travel with him to New France (Canada). When she develops a relationship with another young man on their ship, her guardian abandons them on an uninhabited island as punishment. An intense, powerful novel about the strength of women, based on a true story.

“A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history, Isola is an immersive journey through the eyes of Marguerite de la Rocque, who redefines what makes one a woman of worth and what the difference is between having a life and truly living.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Goodman writes with fluid beauty, deep empathy, and an emotional undertow that pulls you in and holds you from the first page to the last.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Goodman’s lush and enthralling castaway tale of betrayal and love, suffering and strength is magnificent in its beauty, mystery, fury, and redemption.”—Booklist, starred review

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Hidden Libraries: The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories by DC Helmuth (Author), Nancy Pearl

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“Discover 50 of the world’s most magnificent hidden libraries – each with a unique and uplifting story to tell – featuring a foreword by librarian, bestselling author, and literary critic Nancy Pearl.

Book swap your latest read in a cool 1950s style fridge in New Zealand or hike through the ethereal woodlands of Eas Mor in Scotland where a hidden library in a small log cabin awaits. Each entry shares the library’s mission and impact on the local community and offers fascinating stories from its resident caretaker.

Inside Hidden Libraries

  • 50 enchanting, obscure and astounding libraries from around the world
  • Fascinating insider knowledge and unique stories from each library’s resident caretaker
  • Captivating photos accompany every entry and the exact location of each hidden library is revealed
  • Featured libraries include: North America – Idaho: Little Free Library in a Cottonwood Tree; California: The Prison Library Project. South America – Argentina: The Weapon of Mass Instruction; Colombia: The Biblioburro. Africa – Egypt: St Catherine’s Monastery; Mali: The Timbuktu Manuscripts. Asia & the Middle East – China: The Lonely Library; Philippines: Reading Club 2000. Europe – England: Phone Booth Library; Norway: The Future Library. Oceania & Beyond – Antarctica: The Little Free Library at the South Pole; Outer Space: The International Space Station Library

Written by Diana Helmuth, an award winning author who writes about subjects including travel, nature, and philosophical trends”  (Amazon)

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Three Wild Dogs (and the truth): A Memoir by Markus Zusak

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“Now in paperback, this poignant, funny, and brutally honest memoir by one of the world’s most beloved storytellers, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book Thief, tells the story of his family’s adoption of three troublesome rescue dogs—a charming and courageous love story about making even the most incorrigible of dogs, family.” – Amazon

“Heartrending…With a soft heart and a fluid pen, Zusak delivers an elegy for three misfit creatures that will resonate even with those who’ve never picked up a leash.” — Publishers Weekly

“A self-deprecating tale of dog-ownership mayhem that is sure to win over many a reader.” — Kirkus

“Zusak’s garrulous style gives appropriate spotlight to his furry subjects (a few cats are involved too), celebrating their indomitable spirits in a convivial, all-but-exasperated tone. [His] innate humor jostles readers throughout, creating a wholly different page-turning experience from the epic nature of his fiction. Dog lovers will surely find a lot to chew on here as Zusak mines for the truth the title intimates that those touched by a dog will all agree: we are changed for having known them.” — Booklist (starred review)

Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) will be enjoyed by readers of the best dog tales, such as The Art of Racing in the Rain, for its ability to evoke both the aggravation and deep love that dogs foster in those who build their lives around these creatures.” — BookPage

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Time of the Child by Niall Williams

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A rare jewel of a read.   “From the author of This Is Happiness, a compassionate, life-affirming novel about the Christmas season that transforms the small Irish town of Faha” – Amazon

Although invisible to Church and State, it was women who knitted the country together, and in Faha, on Sunday morning after Mass, you could see the needles.” (Highlighted by 295 Kindle readers)

:Regret is a fruit of age. The longer you live the more you know its sour taste.”(Highlighted by 277 Kindle readers)

To mask despair against God, he chose an old tactic: retain a semblance of order, and in this way meet the greatest challenge of life, which is always nothing more nor less than how to get through another day.” (Highlighted by 267 Kindle readers)

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Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson

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A BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, School Library Journal, Library Journal

So wonderful – I absolutely loved and highly recommend this graphic novel which is a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“A thought-provoking, profoundly moving adventure story. Not to be missed.”Library Journal, starred review

“The book is an action-packed page-turner, with dastardly villains, narrow escapes, and a twist at the end that sheds a new light on the entire story.”School Library Journal

“A vital reconsideration of an American classic.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

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