MADreads

Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Love in a digital age

Cover of My Favorite Half-Night Sta
A review of My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

This is another great romantic comedy from the writing duo Christina Lauren. Millie, a true crime professor, and her four male friends/colleagues decide to wade into the cesspit of online dating together, and when Millie accidentally matches with her friend Reid, chaos ensues. Anyone who has tried online dating will commiserate with Millie and her friends as they struggle to find love online. This book was laugh out loud funny, sweet, and I gobbled it up in one sitting. Recommended for fans of Helen Hoang, Sally Thorne, and Penny Reid.

Posted by Kelsey H on Oct 25, 2018

Wisconsin Book Fest goes on

Cover of We Can't Breathe
We Can't Breathe by Jabari Asim

Jabari Asim was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. For eleven years, he was an editor at The Washington Post, where he also wrote a syndicated column on politics, popular culture, and social issues, and he served for ten years as the editor in chief of The Crisis, the NAACP's flagship journal of politics, culture, and ideas.

Posted by Jane J on Oct 24, 2018

HahahahahahaX1000

Cover of My Squirrel Days
A review of My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

Ellie Kemper is funny, upbeat, and the type of person who immediately replies to emails and types out HAHAHAs instead of using LOLs.  She writes in all caps and generously uses exclamation points.  She is not afraid of emotion.  I appreciate this!  I like to type out HAHAHAs, too!  (See what I did there with the capitalization and exclamation points?!?!).

Posted by Molly W on Oct 19, 2018

Sweet Anticipation for November 2018

Sweet Anticipation Graphic
New Titles

Winter might be knocking on the door, but November is one of the hottest months for new releases. On to the highlights: 

--One of the most anticipated memoirs of recent times finally hits shelves November 13. Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming, part of a reported $65 million dollar deal that also includes a memoir by the former President (no word yet on a release date for his book).  Given the challenge of recouping such a huge advance, expect to see this hyped just about everywhere.  

Posted by Katie H on Oct 17, 2018

Family dysfunction, Thai style

Cover of Killed at the Whim of a Ha
A review of Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill

Colin Cotterill has been on and off my mystery radar over the years. I'd read his first book The Coroner's Lunch a while ago and came back to Cotterill every now and then. But much as I enjoy Laotian coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun, somehow Cotterill just never stuck as a must-read author for me. That may have changed with my discovery of another of his series featuring Thai journalist Jimm Juree.

Posted by Jane J on Oct 16, 2018

Good intentions?

Cover of That Kind of Mother
A review of That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

Reader reviews on Goodreads for this title seem to be either in the "love it or hate it" category - not many in between. I fell on the love it side of things, but can definitely understand why some might not agree. The protagonist, Rebecca Stone, in whose head we spend the majority of time, is not exactly likable. She's not really unlikable either. She's an privileged white woman in 1980s Washington DC with a pretty narrow range of experiences and has no realization of just how limited her worldview is.

Posted by Jane J on Oct 10, 2018

The Petulant Penguin

Cover of Grumpy Pants
A review of Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer

We all have grumpy days, and sometimes we don't even know why we are grumpy! This short book shares some good calming ways to get through a grumpy spell, and the grumpy underpants page is sure to be a hilarious hit. Practice counting and breathing and snuggling up to help you feel better, and pair with Hooray for hat! for a great discussion about grumpiness.

Posted by Holly S-P on Oct 5, 2018

Pages

Subscribe to MADreads