Tag Archives: Book Suggestions

Book Suggestion: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here!

I had been itching to read this book for awhile and I was not disappointed. I like to read YA books, plus I heard lots of discussion and praise regarding the way this book handles issues like racism, police violence, and the Black Lives Matter movement. The book brings you into Starr’s world and even though her experiences are very different than my own, it was easy to relate to her. While  dealing with pretty heavy issues, the book also manages to include some humor. Definitely recommended reading!

“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.”

Check out the author’s website, or listen to her discuss the book in this interview on NPR.

Book Suggestion Series: The Little Book of Hygge

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here!

This week I read a really fun book: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

The Little Book of Hygge “The Danish word hygge is one of those beautiful words that doesn’t directly translate into English, but it more or less means comfort, warmth or togetherness. Hygge is the feeling you get when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, in warm knitted socks, in front of the fire, when it is dark, cold and stormy outside. It that feeling when you are sharing good, comfort food with your closest friends, by candle light and exchanging easy conversation. It is those cold, crisp blue sky mornings when the light through your window is just right. Denmark is the happiest nation in the world and Meik puts this largely down to them living the hygge way. They focus on the small things that really matter, spend more quality time with friends and family and enjoy the good things in life. The Little Book of Hygge will give you practical steps and tips to become more hygge: how to pick the right lighting, organise a dinner party and even how to dress hygge, all backed up by Meik’s years of research at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. This year live more like a Dane, embrace hygge and become happier.”

I listened to this book with an audiobook from Overdrive, and that was really a great way to do it! This was one of my first exposures to this word, and hearing it in the author’s Danish accent definitely made me understand everything better.

In Minnesota, we have really cold winters and the idea of embracing hygge is very appealing. I love to go outside and do stuff in the snow – shoveling, hiking, making snow people. But I love coming back inside and drinking hot chocolate (with Fluff!), and snuggled into my couch surrounded by library books! So I was all ready to learn about hygge.

You might not want to listen to it as you are out shopping – as I did. I ended up coming home with a bunch of pillar candles (candles are very important in hygge) and a few other comforts. I bought an aromatherapy oil diffuser I’ve had my eye on for a while; and I really do love having the peppermint smell all through the house.  This book also pushed me to get more pictures put up on my walls, which is a good thing. And my bed is now so comfy and cozy, with extra pillows and soft blankets, that I’m struggling to get the motivation to leave it in the mornings. (I’m not counting that as a problem, you understand!)

If you want to explore this trend that is new to the US, but part of everyday life in the Scandinavian countries, I suggest you check out this book!

Oh – and you can increase the hygge of your office by bringing in cake! If any CMLE members out there want to bring cake by the Headquarters – know that we are open to this idea!! We can all have a slice, sip some tea/coffee, and chat about libraries.

Ahhhh….hygge. I feel cozier and happier already.

 

 

 

 

Book Suggestion Series: Joe Tesla series

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here!

This week I read an an exciting series about a character named Joe Tesla. He ran a technology startup, and made millions of dollars. But just as he was about to have a major triumph, he was suddenly stricken with severe agoraphobia  and is not able to go outside. He now lives in an amazing house underground in the tunnels running beneath New York City.  He and his service dog, Edison, have adventures and solve mysteries, along with a few of their friends and colleagues. These are not entirely believable in the details, but are fun adventures! There are only four so far, and hopefully there will be many more

The World Beneath, by Rebecca Cantrell “Under New York is a vast, dark world: a hundred miles of living, breathing, tunnels. This subterranean labyrinth inhales three million bustling commuters every day. And every day, it breathes them all out again… except for one.

Software multi-millionaire Joe Tesla is trapped in those tunnels by his agoraphobia. One by one, he is uncovering their secrets. First, he discovers a bricked-up presidential train car and its deadly cargo–a contagious madness he must contain before it escapes to…The World Beneath.”

 

Check out the rest of the series:

Book Suggestion Series: Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear

Books are just great, aren’t they? At CMLE Headquarters, we love books!

On our weekly podcast, Linking Our Libraries, we always have a book segment so we can share some of the books we read. This is always popular with our listeners, so we are expanding that into other formats including a second podcast, Books and Beverages, coming out this fall (in just a few weeks, to be exact!)

We are also building this series of Book Suggestions. You can submit books that you like! Just write up a few reasons you liked a book and send it in to us; we will edit and add links – and we can all enjoy it! Don’t be shy, share your favorites!

 Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Instead of sharing a book I’m currently reading or recently finished (they are all good books but a little on the sad side) I’d like to suggest a great series I am excited to continue reading! This series is about a young woman named Maisie Dobbs who is a private investigator in London after the first World War. The first book tells the story of Maisie’s early life as a maid who managed to attend Cambridge, and then became a nurse during the war. Maisie is easy to root for because she’s intelligent, hardworking, and brave, especially when she becomes a nurse in the field during the war. Through flashbacks we learn about her lost love and how she was trained to become a private investigator. I really enjoy historical fiction because you get to experience life in a different time and place from what you are used to. Plus, there’s mystery and a little romance involved, which is always welcome! Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the fourteen book series, and I am excited to read more of them!

Check out the next several books in the series:

 

Book Suggestion Series: Cheshire Red Reports

At CMLE Headquarters, we love books!

This is likely the most popular and most unifying statement you can possibly make when chatting with library people – but it’s true! On our weekly podcast, Linking Our Libraries, we always have a book segment so we can share some of the books we read. This is always popular with our listeners, so we are expanding that into other formats including a second podcast, Books and Beverages, coming out this fall. And we are building this series of Book Suggestions. You can submit books that you like! Just write it up a few reasons you liked a book and send it in to us; we will edit and add links – and we can all enjoy it!

(Books below have links to Amazon; if you follow them and buy stuff from Amazon, Jeff Bezos and his crew will donate a small percentage of your sale to CMLE! It can really help us out, so thank you! And if you want to use our Amazon link anytime you shop, it helps us out. Check it out here for all the info!)

I always like to read books in a series – after I’ve invested a book’s worth of energy to learn people’s names and stories, I want to see what happens next!  This week I’m finishing a series that is way too short, from my perspective: only two books. But I’m enjoying them both, and if urban fantasy sounds interesting to you (books set in our world today, but with magic, and supernatural creatures), you might also like them. The series is called the Cheshire Red Reports, by Cherie Priest.

I listened to both in audio-book format, and if you have a choice I’d recommend that because the reader is really good. She helps to bring out different aspects of the characters and the story-line – a great feature of audio books! Continue reading Book Suggestion Series: Cheshire Red Reports