Grades 9-12
A winner of the RITA Award, The Haunting of Maddy Clare is a novel about a young woman, Sarah Piper, who is placed by her temp agency to work along side a ghost hunter, Alistair Gellis. The ghost? A nineteen-year-old young maid who was thought to have committed suicide. Read this intriguing novel to find out what became of Maddy Clare.
Ages 18+
The main character of this intense novel is a detective named Matt Longo who works in a small town, responding to various calls in his jurisdiction. Matt has recently been shot on the job, and is home recuperating. He has many vivid dreams of what his life was like when he first became a police officer, his days in the academy, and his new partner, Donny Mello, who quickly becomes his best friend. This book is packed with action and drama from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Back In Town!
Ages 16+
After reading through all the short stories in The Best American Short Stories (2002) by Sue Miller, the one that stuck out to me the most was “Nobody’s Business” by Jhumpa Lahiri, taken from The New Yorker. It is the story of twenty-something year-old friends, Sang, Paul and Heather, who live together to cut rent costs. Sang constantly has men calling her who want to meet up, and ultimately marry her. Sang starts dating Farouk, and all is well until things get sticky between Farouk and Sang’s housemates. Read this enthralling story to find out what happens in “Nobody’s Business,” and check out the whole The Best American Short Stories series!
Ages 18+
From Marjane Satrapi comes the sequel to Persepolis, which, in my opinion, is better than the first. This graphic memoir is about the author’s adolescence. She spends some time in Austria and she is exploring new things like interesting haircuts, drugs and sex for the first time. She goes back to Iran after having experienced life as a “Westerner” and has to deal with life back home. This book is very entertaining and educational as well.
Ages 18+
Stephanie Plum is a cool chick. She has a hamster named Rex. A cop boyfriend named Moretti. And a cousin named Vinnie. She normally works for said cousin as a bail bondsman, but this time she’s moonlighting for her friend Carlos Manoso, AKA Ranger. The FTA (failure to appear) is Jimmy Poletti, a used car salesman who sells cars full of contraband. Will Stephanie catch him before it’s too late? This book is Janet Evanovich’s twenty-first installment of the Stephanie Plum series. It’s not your average mystery because it’s funny and not always about gruesome murders…it’s about the chase. Evanovich never disappoints!
Ages 18+
This graphic memoir was gripping from start to finish. Told in first person through the eyes of a child, Satrapi explained what it was like to grow up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. This book is great for those who want a quick read, however, it’s packed with history and real emotion.
Ages 18+
Cecilia was a normal, happy wife…until she read the letter. The one she wasn’t supposed to read until after her husband had died. But she had gotten her hands on it, and now she had to read it. She wished she hadn’t, because now she knew his secret; and it was a big one. One she now had to carry with her, possibly until her own death. Follow Cecilia as she struggles to keep her husband’s secret from her friends, her family and her community. Will the secret ultimately destroy her? Or will she be able to put her husband’s past behind her?
Ages 16+
I recently opened a Pinterest account for fun and was playing around with it. I wanted to learn more about the ins and outs of Pinterest, and I definitely did! I would recommend this book for anyone who is just starting out with Pinterest and wants to get more acquainted with the site and how it works. Very helpful!
Grades 3-5
Ten Rules for Living with My Sister by Ann M. Martin is a book about a 9-year-old girl named Pearl and her 13-year-old sister Lexie. Lexie and Pearl fight like all sisters do, of course. Most recently, Lexie hung a sign on her door that lets Pearl know she’s not welcome. The story is told from Pearl’s perspective. She loves to make lists that compare herself with her sister. Room? Lexie: neat and Pearl: sloppy. Lipstick? Lexie: yes and Pearl: no. Read Ten Rules for Living with My Sister to find out if Pearl and Lexie can ever get along.
Ages 18+
I loved this book! I read it while I was at the tail end of my college career and just thought that it was so on point with the stuff we have to deal with when going to college. I wasn’t a drinker, so I didn’t relate to those stories as much, but I thought they were hilarious nonetheless. Aaron Karo had an email column from 1997-2012 where he wrote many of these stories for his friends and followers. They are now on his website. I am so glad he made that column into a book that everyone can read. While Karo’s experiences will not be the same for all kids, I recommend this to every college student!
Michelle’s Bookish Life 