Jump to navigation Jump to main content
Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
If one were to check the wallets of some of 1930s New York more prominent male citizens, it’s likely one would find a business card bearing simply a sketch of a parrot and a phone number. This card might be inscrutable at first glance, but to those in the know, that card would lead to the home of one Polly Adler, New York’s most notorious and successful madam during the city’s hedonistic Jazz Era.
This latest installment in the Agatha Raisin series brings Agatha eye-to-eye with the most adorable animal ever: the quokka. Seriously, these creatures are the cutest. They are a small type of wallaby about the size of a cat with a brown face, rounded ears, and what looks like the sweetest smile in the animal kingdom.
Three women, colleagues and the kind of sort-of work-friend you make at your job, find their darkest wishes have come true after the company Christmas party. That shocking event forces them to team up in order to avoid at the minimum, unemployment, and at a maximum, prison.
This magical book by Japanese author/illustrator Kaya Doi and translated by Yuki Kaneko is a must-read. In the third book of the series, twin sisters Chirri & Chirra are back exploring beautiful winter scenery with their animal friends. The story has foxes, bears, birds, goats, and cats. It also has hot springs, delicious food, and creative landscapes. Doi brings us a delightful, unique art style. Her winter wonderland story connects the reader to a magical miniature world with a touch that evokes the same emotions as reading a traditional Japanese children's book.
Baek Heena is one of Korea’s most famous picture book authors and artists.She grew up with a vivid imagination and her inner child shines through in her books. She makes a conscious effort in her artwork and storytelling to show the perspectives and emotions of children. You’ll definitely get a sense of awe along with a few giggles reading this book.
Taste: My Life Through Food is actor and cookbook author Stanley Tucci's culinary autobiography. It makes an excellent gift book for food lovers and is perfect for this time of year. The recipes that frame Stanley Tucci's life are shared lovingly and with an expertise that is inspiring and comforting. This guy knows his way around the kitchen, the fire pit, the wine cellar, all of it.
Yes, Mona is a wizard, but her specialty is bread. Which is wonderful for keeping muffins from burning or convincing biscuits that they are not overworked, but significantly less so for defending the her city from an internal coupe and foreign invaders. Mona is a reluctant hero, who very rightly points out that she wouldn't have needed to BE a hero if the people in charge had just done what they were supposed to.
Although Miles and Rhys attend the same school, they don't know each other in real life, but in the online game Mecha Melee they are triumphant besties known as Gryphon and Backslash. The action in the book switches back and forth between in-game action and real-life family and middle school drama. The students at their school make up a diverse cast of background characters. Miles and his family are Black, and Rhys and his family have light brown skin and straight, dark hair.
As this thriller opens Amelia Winn is leaving her shift as a trauma nurse when she's hit by a car. That accident leaves her profoundly deaf. In the immediate aftermath of the accident and the realization of just what her life has become, Amelia retreated into an alcoholic haze and it's only when her marriage falls apart and she's in danger of losing any chance of contact with her young step-daughter that she hit rock bottom.
This is the best/worst book featuring outrageous stories of racist things that have happened to comedy writer and talk show host Amber Ruffin's sister Lacey Lamar. Most of the stories take place in Omaha, Nebraska. A fair number take place across the state border in Iowa. All of them take place in the modern-day and a vast majority take place at work. At work!
