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. New books are added to the collection monthly, and are available at all Madison Public Library locations on a walk-in, first-come-first-served basis.
For this month of June we have six new titles that were added:**
Everything I Know about Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton - Glittering, with wit and insight, heart and humour, Dolly Alderton's debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age while making you laugh until you fall over.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore Van Alst - Hawke and Van Alst have gathered a satisfying mix of unsettling horror stories written by an array of notable Native authors, including Cherie Dimaline, Brandon Hobson, Darcie Little Badger, and Tommy Orange. The 25 chilling tales revolve around Indigenous experiences and beliefs, cranking up the creepy factor with terrifying monsters, ghosts, curses, family secrets, and vengeful spirits.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang - Scriptwriter Grant Shepard is in the middle of a serious employment drought. However, all that is about to change when Grant is offered a spot on the hottest show in production. The only thing keeping Grant from saying yes is the fact that he knows the author, Helen Zhang with whom he has a tragic past. Since then, the two haven’t spoken, so what are the odds that Grant and Helen can work together now? You'll have to read to find out.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - This collection of essays contemplating the wonders of nature is fresh and engaging, and offers frequent surprises and perceptive commentary. The author weaves childhood memories and anecdotes about her current life as a poet, college professor, wife, and mother into her rapturous takes on flora and fauna.
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior - Deep in Brazil's neglected Bahia hinterland, two sisters find an ancient knife beneath their grandmother's bed and, momentarily mystified by its power, decide to taste its metal. The shuddering violence that follows marks their lives and binds them together forever.
Gathering Blossoms Under Fire: The Journals of Alice Walker, 1965-2000 edited by Valerie Boyd - Legendary author and “womanist” Alice Walker connects her past and present in this revealing and frequently heart-wrenching 50-year collection of journal writings. Beginning in 1965, when she was a college student at Sarah Lawrence, we see Walker evolve from naive idealist to battered civil rights activist, young wife and mother, journeyman writer, novelist, and icon. Walker’s voice is confessional, spiritual, and rawly emotional, veering from giddy joy one day to existential despair the next.
If you're ever just looking for something "good" to read, I highly recommend browsing the TGTM books at your Madison Library. There's a little something for everyone in this collection and it's my go-to when I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for.
**Linked titles are to the regular copies, which may have hold lists. The TGTM browse collection books are separate from those.