Personalized picks from our staff members that work to bring you this blog. Complied by Tabor Millien.
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
“I am on a mission to get as many people to read this book as possible. It is unlike anything else I’ve read, and I love it so much. Every person I’ve convinced to read it has ended up loving it as well. Wondering what it is about? It is all in the title, her sister is a serial killer. But it is also so much more than that. It is a quick read that will stay with you.”
–Ashley Lee, Youth Services
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
“I recently re-visited this classic and found it just as wild and joyous as I did when I first read it years ago. Annie Dillard spent a year in careful observation of her home in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, documenting natural phenomena and her reactions to it. Her attention spills over into devotion, even to the verge of incoherence, as she meditates on death and life, on light, on all the vast horror and beauty that teem from one tiny piece of land. This is a perfect book if you love nature writing imbued with deep spirituality and gorgeous prose.”
–Ashley Lewis, Reference Librarian
The Last Masterpiece by Laura Morelli
“This is a fabulous book set in WWII war-torn Italy. The author is an actual Art Historian who has extraordinary research and writing skills. Morelli’s last three books have involved a duality in the story, either through a difference in the timeline or through the perspective of the characters. In The Last Masterpiece that duality came through the voices of two different women on opposite sides of the war. A German photographer and an American stenographer both become involved in hiding and hunting for looted masterpieces from the great Italian art museums, especially in Florence. Hearing their thoughts and seeing their actions can truly give a person a unique perspective of this time-period, especially since the book was inspired by true stories that emerged at the end of WWII. Ultimately, the book is about the heroism of both men and women who were not soldiers but art historians, photographers, museum curators, archivists, and architects that were tasked with the assignment to protect the cultural heritage and treasures of Europe. I could not put this book down once I started reading it because Ms. Morelli’s books come alive in my mind as I read them, like a movie playing in my brain.”
–Bonita Bignar, Youth Services
A Game of Fox & Squirrels by Jenn Reese
“First, I love middle grade books. As a children’s librarian, I’m happy to see a book written about a difficult topic in a way that makes it easier for children to understand that not everyone’s life is simple or perfect. This book was written for upper grade children (ages 10-13) who may be struggling with difficult life circumstances and to help the readers of this book to have empathy and compassion for others in tough situations. It is whimsical, emotional, and compelling; ending with a hopeful outlook for the characters who’ve experienced dark times. This book made a lasting impression and will stay with me forever.”
–Katie Rivers, Acquisitions Librarian
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
“In the time since I’ve read this book, I cannot get it out of my head. The setting of a small, coastal Louisiana town on the bayou called La Cachette lured me in, because it sounds akin to home. Then, the various types of psychics in the town give the paranormal vibe that I love. The story is set around the disappearance of Grey’s best friend, Elora, and told from Grey’s perspective. She stubbornly refuses to forget Elora and asks questions about her and other parts of the town’s sordid, buried history that no one wants to confront. Constant mysteries and thrills kept me steadily turning pages. Found family can be great, but family isn’t always easy. A bit of teen romance is also thrown into the drama. Small town secrets with the magic of psychic powers set in a coastal bayou town, of all places, skyrocketed this book as one of my favorite reads of 2023 early on. I loved it so much that I wish I could visit La Cachette and befriend Grey after the events of the novel. Even the book’s cover is enticing with an alligator peeking out of the murky water!”
–Samantha Matherne, Galvez Branch
“This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in some time. It’s a book about love and saying goodbye and how sometimes those are the same thing. Sometimes the split is painful, sometimes it is a relief. The hardest part though is opening yourself back up for it all to happen again. Shark Heart is about loving even when you are afraid to. And not just loving those around you but loving the life you have no matter how difficult it gets. Despite its fantastical elements, Shark Heart is the most accurate portrayal of love I think I have ever read. Plus, those fantastical elements are fascinating!”
–Tabor Millien, Business Office
“I am a lifelong lover of comic books and superheroes. After thirty-odd years of reading comics you can get burnt out on reading the same type of superhero story over and over again, which is why I’m so grateful for Tom King. Tom King was a former CIA operative whose job was to flip Taliban assets over to America during the war in Afghanistan, and everything he writes is clearly at least a little influenced by that unique history. In The Human Target he takes what is generally considered one of the goofiest mainstream superhero teams of all time, Keith Giffen’s ‘Justice League International’, and puts them at the middle of a gritty noir mystery where professional human target Christopher Chance has twelve days to solve the mystery of who poisoned him while the suspect was actually trying to kill Lex Luthor. This was the best series I read last year, and I think it’s a must-read for superhero fans.”
–Willie Nettles, Donaldsonville Branch Librarian
Shelf Analysis 