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MADreads

Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

How do you feel about scary puppets?

Cover of How to Sell a Haunted Hous
A review of How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Louise left Charleston behind when she moved away for college at sixteen and returning to her childhood home after the unexpected death of her parents sends her into the same negative space and patterns she escaped from decades before. Louise's estranged brother Mark notifies her of their parents' fatal accident nearly two days after it takes place. The decisions he's made in the time between their death and Louise's arrival sends her into a spiral of anger and confusion. And then there's the house.

Jul 24, 2023

A library mystery

Mrs. Biddlebox book cover
Cover of Mrs. Biddlebox
A review of Mrs. Biddlebox by Linda Smith
Marla Frazee

I recently got a question from someone with a library mystery - a picture book they were looking for about a woman who bakes away her sadness. It was kind of dark, with a house on a hill... but they couldn't remember the title!

This didn't ring any bells for me, but we have a great team with lots of combined experience with children's books, so I put out a call to crowd source the title and one of my colleagues came up with the answer: Mrs. Biddlebox, which does indeed have a dark swirly cover and the title page features a house on a hill. 

Jul 21, 2023

Starting Over

Cover of The Ethan I was Before
A review of The Ethan I was Before by Ali Standish

Ethan and his family are getting a fresh start in the hot, coastal town of Palm Knot, Georgia, or at least they are trying to. While there's a promise of finding new friends and rebuilding family relationships, Ethan's guilt of who he was and what he did continues to haunt him. Whispered phone calls at night, family secrets and the secrets of his possible new best friend, Coralee, ultimately contribute to Ethan's understanding of the importance of remembering and forgiveness. This is a capably written story that discusses death, forgiveness, and the effects of guilt on a young mind.

Jul 20, 2023

Never too much

Cover of Knockout
A review of Knockout by Sarah MacLean

All her life Lady Imogen Loveless has been told she's "too much". And given her interest in blowing things up and lack of interest in any of the things a "real" lady does, she's convinced that she'll always live up to her name and remain single. But that fact doesn't stop her from truly liking (and lusting after) Scotland Yard inspector, Thomas Peck. For his lights, while Tommy may at times be very frustrated by Imogen, he's also totally fascinated by her. The only way in which she's "too much", as far as he's concerned, is in her station - she's an aristocrat and he a commoner.

Jul 19, 2023

What makes you strong?

Cover of Strong
A review of Strong by Rob Kearney

There are lots of ways to be strong. When Rob Kearney was a kid he was STRONG. He was able to lift heavy boxes and open jars with the tightest lids. He tried activities that tested his strength. His favorite sport was weightlifting and he felt mighty and powerful like a superhero!  In fact, he had dreams of becoming the strongest man in the world. 

Jul 14, 2023

All hail the snail!

Cover of Escargot
A review of Escargot by Dashka Slater

If you were charmed by Marcel and his shoes, meet this snail who hails from France. From his beret, red scarf and blue and white striped shirt, down to his trail of “shimmery stuff.” From his speedy race across a checked tablecloth to reach the delicious salad with very specific ingredients, “a salad with croutons and light vinaigrette and absolutely no carrots,” to his sad realization that no one chooses snails as their favorite animal.

Jul 12, 2023

Turn back now

Cover of The Collective
A review of The Collective by Alison Gaylin

Camille Gardner's life ended five years ago when her daughter died. The loss alone devastated her. But the lack of justice for her daughter has filled her with so much anger she doesn't have any room for anything else. And she has no outlet for all that rage. Until now. Alison Gaylin explores the depths to which someone might go in order to get justice (or is it revenge) and brings the reader along for the thrilling ride.

Jul 11, 2023

Who is your favorite character from The Office?

Cover of The Office BFFs: Tales of
A review of The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

My favorite character from The Office is Oscar Martinez. Also, they are all my favorite character. I've watched all nine seasons twice (more about that later) and could talk about The Office all day. It turns out, the actors who portray the characters Pam and Angela could talk about it all day, too, and they do on their Office Ladies podcast!

Jul 10, 2023

What would the Bandit Queen do?

Cover of The Bandit Queens
A review of The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

“Remove my nose ring.”  Geeta hasn’t heard that expression in a while, but she immediately knows what the woman before her is asking: make me a widow. Geeta has been an outcast in her small Gujarati village ever since her husband Ramesh mysteriously disappeared five years ago. While Geeta most certainly did not kill her husband, she does little to dispute the rumors that she’s a killer, since it keeps the villagers at arm’s length.

Jul 7, 2023

La baguette magique

Cover of I Always Think It's Foreve
A review of I Always Think It's Forever: A Love Story Set in Paris as Told by an Unreliable But Earnest Narrator by Timothy Goodman

This book created by award-winning graphic artist Timothy Goodman is visually stunning. It's a hybrid graphic memoir of when the author moves to Paris in 2019 to take a break from everything and unexpectedly meets the love of his life. You might guess from the title of the book that the author always thinks his relationships are going to last forever when in reality they are never forever. This book is about that, one man exposing his heart and soul and the details of a crushing short-lived romance.

Jul 3, 2023

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