Library Staff Reads - Spring 2021

A tale of adventure and romance between an Englishwoman from 1945 and a Scot from 1743. There's a wee bit of time travel but dinna fash, Jamie & Claire belong together. Gabaldon weaves together a tale of characters coming together who bring the values of their respective time periods set against the struggles of the Scots against the British in the Scottish Highlands. Outlander is just the start of Jamie & Claire's adventures...it's the first book in a planned ten book series that will take you from the Scottish Highlands to France to Jamaica to America - travel the world through a great book! –Amy

Ann Patchett is a contemporary American novelist. Two of her recent books are State of Wonder and Commonwealth. ​I recommend her most recent novel--The Dutch House. It is a story that takes place over 50 years, about a family and the house that means so much to them. A most heartfelt story. —Bob

This is an in-depth look at how retailers track your purchasing habits. In their quest to maximize the shopping experience, from the retailers’ perspective, the more data companies can gather, the more they tailor their experience for consumers. The trade-off is an in-depth look at your personal information. Some will find this alarming, but the purpose of this book is to inform consumers on the use of their personal data. —Brian

The book is certainly for Faulkner’s fans like me. I now know a little bit about Yoknapatawpha county. It is also so timely when I saw insurrectionists walking in the Capitol Building with the Confederate flags. The South never seems to be able to accept the loss of their lost cause war. For Faulkner, ‘was’ and ‘again’ were the saddest words: ‘was’ means that things that happened can’t be changed; ‘again’ reminds us that the South’s denial of their loss in the Civil War will happen again and again which will keep the real unity of the Union realistically unattainable (my interpretation). Highly recommended. —Chart

Diana Gabaldon’s second novel in the Outlander series, Dragonfly in Amber, continues Claire Randall’s time-travelling journeys from post-World War II Great Britain back to the 18th century Scottish Highlands for a romantic adventure with her warrior husband Jamie Fraser. Lots of historical fiction and fantasy!​ —John

This superb coming of age graphic novel focuses on a gay Vietnamese American boy who is unable to come out to his parents. Set in the late '90s in the Southwest, I fell increasingly in love with this book--from its heartwarming and beautiful story, to its nostalgic-engendering artwork reminiscent of a 1970s linework-focused illustration-style (with a bit of Sailor Moon vibes mixed in for good measure). When I was done, I simply had to buy a physical copy for my own collection. —Justin

I recommend The Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin, George Perez, and Ron Lim. This graphic novel reprints a classic Marvel Comics story arc that you may have seen on the big screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most directly in the last two Avengers films. It is very interesting to read the source material and see where the movies changed characters and plot. In some cases, I think Hollywood made the right call, but in others it is good to go back to the basics. You can, too, by checking out The Infinity Gauntlet. —Rich

Sometimes you just need a book to escape and laugh. Lindy West is one of the funniest feminist writers on the Internet, and her book doesn’t disappoint - a collection where she rewatches, and reviews ‘80-’00 movies with so much snark it makes you want to read parts aloud to make your friends laugh.
I realize, not every reader of this may have seen all these films... but it’s a culturally significant list, and even if you’re not familiar, you get the idea. For those that know the films, you’ll find her reviews in a range of “snortworthy” to “milk coming out of my nose.” Movies have always been a way for me to escape, and in a year of being without a big screen and popcorn, this book made me smile. —Sarah R.

This is a must-read. —Tiffany