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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Singing in celebration

Cover of Joyful Song
A review of Joyful Song by Lesléa Newman
Susan Gal

There's a new baby at Zachary's house and he is thrilled to be a big brother. Best of all, it's his sister's very first Shabbat, and today she will be welcomed into her Jewish faith community when her name is announced publicly for the first time. On the walk to the synagogue, Zachary, Mama and Mommy encounter many neighbors eager to meet the newest member of the family. "Want to come with us to her naming ceremony?" Zachary invites. Of course they all do, and of course we readers want to come, too!

Jan 29, 2025

Little siblings can get away with anything

Cover of Chooch Helped
A review of Chooch Helped by Andrea L Rogers
Rebecca Lee Kunz

Chooch is the baby. Well, he's not really a baby anymore, but anytime Chooch makes a mess, everyone says, "He's just usdi. Let him help." To Sissy, it feels like Chooch can get away with anything. He helps Elisi paint a mural, Etsi sew moccasins, and Edutsi make grape dumplings. Anyone who has ever let a toddler "help" with something can imagine how this goes, and when he helps Sissy make a clay pot she finally loses patience.

Jan 28, 2025

Quiet escape

Cover of The Bookish Life of Nina H
A review of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

A heroine who just wants to read and works in a bookstore? How is that not going to be added to my tbr list? But books that are added to my list are often bumped by the next items added. Thus we have The Bookish Life of Nina Hill added to my list a few years ago and only now, at last, happily read.

Jan 22, 2025

Blurred lines

Cover of A Brief History of the Wor
A review of A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders: Surprising Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps by John Elledge

Everybody’s talking about borders these days. Whether it’s the US southern border, Ukraine’s boundaries, or seemingly any square inch in the Middle East, it’s in the news. But at least there’s the comfort that borders have been carefully and thoughtfully drawn, and based on logic considering geographical, ethnic and political aspects.

Nope.

Jan 21, 2025

One last job?

Cover of Hammajang Luck
A review of Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

After eight years on a prison planet, for a crime they did commit - to be fair, Edie Morikawa, thief and con artist, gets out and is determined to live the straight and narrow life. First challenge? Getting a ship off the planet. And waiting for Edie is Angel Huang. Angel is the person who sold them out and left them to their fate on the icy prison planet. But transportation off the rock aren't plentiful and Edie knows that they can accept the ride and still reject Angel's plan for one more big score.

Jan 14, 2025

Too Good to Miss - January 2025

Photo of Too Good to Miss books
New Titles

Every month there are new titles purchased for the Too Good to Miss collections at our libraries. If you're not familiar with TGTM (as we call it here in library-world), it's a special collection of popular books that are truly too good to miss. Some are new and popular titles, others are older titles that might not have had as much media attention as a bestseller or celebrity book club selection but are still great reads that deserve another look.

Jan 13, 2025

Colette is missing

Cover of Tornado Brain
A review of Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Neurodiverse thirteen-year-old Frankie has more than her share of challenges. She is learning to cope with multiple issues and manage her impulses. Meanwhile, Frankie’s twin sister, Tess, is handling the challenges of having a neurodiverse sibling.

Jan 10, 2025

Highs and lows of the dance

Cover of The Favorites
A review of The Favorites by Layne Fargo

"To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession."

That's the first line of the blurb for this epic love story that takes it's inspiration from Wuthering Heights. Here instead of wandering the moors, the lovers glide across the ice in the competitive (some would say cut-throat) world of Olympic-level ice dancing.

Jan 8, 2025

Women on the verge...

Cover of The Summer Without Men
A review of The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt

After 30 years together, Mia’s husband Boris announces that he needs a “pause” in their marriage. This sends Mia off the deep end and she is locked up and medicated in a mental hospital for a week and a half. Once discharged, she realizes she can’t stay alone in her Brooklyn apartment, so she leaves to spend the summer in her Minnesota hometown where her mother is living in a senior community.

Jan 6, 2025

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