The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend. I listened to the first of these books, The Trials of Morrigan Crow, on NH Downloadables (Libby) and when the next one wasn’t available right away I actually bought an Audible subscription just to continue it. I listened to the third on NHDB when it was ready. I haven’t been this hooked on a juvenile/young adult series since Harry Potter. There are strong similarities to HP, like an essentially orphaned protagonist “Morrigan Crow” and a magic boarding school in a world she doesn’t initially realize exists. Like Harry, she is singled out by an adult villain, has a guiding mentor like Dumbledore (a younger, livelier guy named Jupiter North) and makes enviable friendships that become family. The characters and plot are original, the writing is dynamic, and I am eagerly awaiting the fourth (out of seven!) book out later this year.
Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud. I have listened to the first two of these on NH Downloadables (Libby) and am starting the third. The series takes place in a version of London that is overrun with dangerous ghosts, only able to be fought and destroyed by people young enough not to have outgrown their psychic abilities. The main books follow Lucy, an initially homeless teen girl trying to make a living with her psychic ability. The first book was truly creepy, for anyone who’s looking for a good scare. The second one was as spine tingling but it’s still good, and I expect to listen to the first four books at least (there are six so far.) This is also a TV show streaming now on Netflix.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. This is a charming, surprising book about a South Carolina courtyard community and its “birds,” which are both the local turquoise “dellawisps” and also metaphors for a number of other things. It should appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman since it’s magical realism. I don’t always enjoy magical realism and I still got into it and recommend it. This book does not haunt you or ask a lot of you, but that’s fine and it’s a sweet story.
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. I expected to love this, since it juxtaposed the first female librarians of WWI and the first women in the Naval Academy in the 1970s and connected them with a letter (I still write, and love receiving, letters.) But I had to work to get into it and never quite did. It was almost halfway through the book when you find out how the two stories are connected, and it wasn’t that compelling. I did find it interesting to learn that the war librarians were required by the ALA to censor books about war, from their readers. Intellectual freedom is now a tenet of the ALA. (American Library Association.)
The Last Party by Clare Macintosh. This is the newest book by the author of Let Me Lie, I See You, and I Let You Go. Most of her books are suspense/mystery and she uses her past experience as a police officer in her writing. They are all readable and satisfying, this one included.
Carrie Soto is Back and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Seven Husbands became “TikTok famous” and got very popular in our library for a bit. While it was checked out, I read Carrie Soto and got hooked, then read Seven Husbands eventually and enjoyed it too. It seemed to me that both were fictionalized versions of famous women, based very loosely on (respectively) tennis player Serena Williams and actress Elizabeth Taylor, exploring their experiences navigating career, the media and relationships. They both hooked my interest and didn’t let it go, though I personally preferred Carrie Soto because I was less interested in the soap opera aspects of Seven Husbands. I plan to read all of Reid’s other books.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We got this book in August after a patron recommended it, and it took me till February to read it because it was so constantly checked out. Every single person told us how good it was, and it did not disappoint. The only slightly negative feedback was “I wasn’t sure I liked that the dog could talk.” Since the book is about a woman scientist pioneer attempting to pursue a career in the 1960s, I was taken aback there was apparently a talking dog. When I read it, I learned the dog can’t actually talk but is given a depth of characterization and intelligence that is probably unrealistic to expect from a dog. I personally loved it. This book is out now, with a reserve list, so I’m buying a second copy. Let us know at the desk if you want to read it.
I loved this book enough that I sent a copy to my scientist niece. The book is charming and funny. Despite setbacks in her career, the protagonist, Elizabeth, prevails.
Lara Berry
1 month ago
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio is one of three memoirs about show business I have read recently (scroll down to see the other two.) I watched The Karate Kid in the theatre when I was in fifth grade and Ralph Macchio was my first celebrity crush! I adored him and all three movies, so it is strange that as an adult I had only re-watched the first one and had no interest in the series Cobra Kai when it began. This memoir changed all that. I am now re-watching the first three movies with my husband on our Friday night movie nights (checking them out from the library) and plan to view the series as well when we’re through. Considering how dated many 1980s movies are, it is impressive how well the first two movies held up. If you loved them then, you probably will still love them now! And this memoir is a wonderful tribute to the movies and a great set-up to enjoy the show.
Lara Berry
1 month ago
I read Alan Rickman’s Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman shortly after Tom Felton’s memoir about Harry Potter, because they both came out in 2022, and found the juxtaposition very funny. Alan Rickman summed up his Harry Potter experiences in maybe 7 sentences in the entire book, most of which were complaints about directors or the provided food! Felton’s memoir is nostalgic and includes a witty, admiring anecdote about acting with Rickman. There is no comparable insight in Rickman’s, just one offhand mention of him. Felton probably felt he was lucky to be overlooked, given Rickman’s opinion of Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who played “Harry Potter”) “I don’t think he’s really an actor.” The title “madly, deeply” is a misnomer for these entries, which are rarely emotional, but they are interesting. I would not have guessed he would enjoy drawing (a few of his colorful pages are included), or prefer the pastime of watching dumb television to reading! I was frequently shocked by his sharp commentary about movies, plays and other actors, but he was as hard on his own work as everyone else. He thought his movie Die Hard was excellent, though, which I enjoyed learning. Both this book and Felton’s have wonderfully kind introductions written by their friends and respective “Emmas”: Emma Thompson and Emma Watson. Thompson’s provides what fans of Rickman might be most interested in; his diary is not the easiest thing to get through, especially if you want your illusions about the charm and signficance of Harry Potter left intact!
Lara Berry
1 month ago
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton. This memoir from Tom Felton “Draco Malfoy” in the Harry Potter movies details what it was like to grow up in the Harry Potter world but not as one of the top three (Harry, Ron and Hermione.) He had more of a normal life than they did in many ways, and writes from a nuanced perspective. This was a satisfying and touching read. Any Harry Potter fan, or memoir buff, will find this interesting.
Brittany Post
1 month ago
Milk and Juice: a Recycling Romance is the 2022 Ladybug award winner! The story tells the impactful use of recycling and shows how many times an object can be reused in different ways. The illustrations are beautiful and help you connect to the story in a meaningful way.
I haven’t read Blowback yet. I got two copies because of the popularity of James Patterson and NH author Brendan DuBois and right now they’re both checked out. The premise is what would happen if the president of the US turned out to be a psychopath. I don’t read much Patterson but I want to read this one because of the partnership with DuBois. I’ve read the books Patterson partnered with the Clintons to write, and enjoyed them.
The TikTok inspired Colleen Hoover craze caused me to read this book, It Ends With Us. I had read Verity and not particularly liked it but I tried this one too. I found it a bit more believable and less disturbing than Verity, but I think I’m done reading her books. No judgment against anyone who likes them. They are easy reads, and we all need those sometimes!
I was listening to the juvenile fantasy Skin of the Sea on NHDB using the Libby app at the time of the backlash about the live action Little Mermaid casting a Black actress. The book is well written and vivid, crammed with West African mythology including mermaids or “Mami Wata.” There were times I felt it was too crammed, that maybe the main characters didn’t need to interact with every single West African mythological being in their journey! But it was a fresh angle on the Little Mermaid tale and of interest to anyone who is interested in African culture.
This addictively charming graphic novel Lore Olympus series depicts a modern-day version of the romance between Hades, god of the Underworld and Persephone, goddess of Spring. The characters are endearing and the artwork dreamy and sweet. We have the first two books in the library and I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
Last edited 4 months ago by Lara Berry
Brittany Post
5 months ago
The Counselors is an intriguing YA realistic fiction. The setting is a summer camp in the middle of nowhere Vermont. I am only half way through and can’t put it down!!
Free WiFi Location
The Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend. I listened to the first of these books, The Trials of Morrigan Crow, on NH Downloadables (Libby) and when the next one wasn’t available right away I actually bought an Audible subscription just to continue it. I listened to the third on NHDB when it was ready. I haven’t been this hooked on a juvenile/young adult series since Harry Potter. There are strong similarities to HP, like an essentially orphaned protagonist “Morrigan Crow” and a magic boarding school in a world she doesn’t initially realize exists. Like Harry, she is singled out by an adult villain, has a guiding mentor like Dumbledore (a younger, livelier guy named Jupiter North) and makes enviable friendships that become family. The characters and plot are original, the writing is dynamic, and I am eagerly awaiting the fourth (out of seven!) book out later this year.
Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud. I have listened to the first two of these on NH Downloadables (Libby) and am starting the third. The series takes place in a version of London that is overrun with dangerous ghosts, only able to be fought and destroyed by people young enough not to have outgrown their psychic abilities. The main books follow Lucy, an initially homeless teen girl trying to make a living with her psychic ability. The first book was truly creepy, for anyone who’s looking for a good scare. The second one was as spine tingling but it’s still good, and I expect to listen to the first four books at least (there are six so far.) This is also a TV show streaming now on Netflix.
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. This is a charming, surprising book about a South Carolina courtyard community and its “birds,” which are both the local turquoise “dellawisps” and also metaphors for a number of other things. It should appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman since it’s magical realism. I don’t always enjoy magical realism and I still got into it and recommend it. This book does not haunt you or ask a lot of you, but that’s fine and it’s a sweet story.
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. I expected to love this, since it juxtaposed the first female librarians of WWI and the first women in the Naval Academy in the 1970s and connected them with a letter (I still write, and love receiving, letters.) But I had to work to get into it and never quite did. It was almost halfway through the book when you find out how the two stories are connected, and it wasn’t that compelling. I did find it interesting to learn that the war librarians were required by the ALA to censor books about war, from their readers. Intellectual freedom is now a tenet of the ALA. (American Library Association.)
The Last Party by Clare Macintosh. This is the newest book by the author of Let Me Lie, I See You, and I Let You Go. Most of her books are suspense/mystery and she uses her past experience as a police officer in her writing. They are all readable and satisfying, this one included.
Carrie Soto is Back and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Seven Husbands became “TikTok famous” and got very popular in our library for a bit. While it was checked out, I read Carrie Soto and got hooked, then read Seven Husbands eventually and enjoyed it too. It seemed to me that both were fictionalized versions of famous women, based very loosely on (respectively) tennis player Serena Williams and actress Elizabeth Taylor, exploring their experiences navigating career, the media and relationships. They both hooked my interest and didn’t let it go, though I personally preferred Carrie Soto because I was less interested in the soap opera aspects of Seven Husbands. I plan to read all of Reid’s other books.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. We got this book in August after a patron recommended it, and it took me till February to read it because it was so constantly checked out. Every single person told us how good it was, and it did not disappoint. The only slightly negative feedback was “I wasn’t sure I liked that the dog could talk.” Since the book is about a woman scientist pioneer attempting to pursue a career in the 1960s, I was taken aback there was apparently a talking dog. When I read it, I learned the dog can’t actually talk but is given a depth of characterization and intelligence that is probably unrealistic to expect from a dog. I personally loved it. This book is out now, with a reserve list, so I’m buying a second copy. Let us know at the desk if you want to read it.
I loved this book enough that I sent a copy to my scientist niece. The book is charming and funny. Despite setbacks in her career, the protagonist, Elizabeth, prevails.
Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio is one of three memoirs about show business I have read recently (scroll down to see the other two.) I watched The Karate Kid in the theatre when I was in fifth grade and Ralph Macchio was my first celebrity crush! I adored him and all three movies, so it is strange that as an adult I had only re-watched the first one and had no interest in the series Cobra Kai when it began. This memoir changed all that. I am now re-watching the first three movies with my husband on our Friday night movie nights (checking them out from the library) and plan to view the series as well when we’re through. Considering how dated many 1980s movies are, it is impressive how well the first two movies held up. If you loved them then, you probably will still love them now! And this memoir is a wonderful tribute to the movies and a great set-up to enjoy the show.
I read Alan Rickman’s Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman shortly after Tom Felton’s memoir about Harry Potter, because they both came out in 2022, and found the juxtaposition very funny. Alan Rickman summed up his Harry Potter experiences in maybe 7 sentences in the entire book, most of which were complaints about directors or the provided food! Felton’s memoir is nostalgic and includes a witty, admiring anecdote about acting with Rickman. There is no comparable insight in Rickman’s, just one offhand mention of him. Felton probably felt he was lucky to be overlooked, given Rickman’s opinion of Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who played “Harry Potter”) “I don’t think he’s really an actor.” The title “madly, deeply” is a misnomer for these entries, which are rarely emotional, but they are interesting. I would not have guessed he would enjoy drawing (a few of his colorful pages are included), or prefer the pastime of watching dumb television to reading! I was frequently shocked by his sharp commentary about movies, plays and other actors, but he was as hard on his own work as everyone else. He thought his movie Die Hard was excellent, though, which I enjoyed learning. Both this book and Felton’s have wonderfully kind introductions written by their friends and respective “Emmas”: Emma Thompson and Emma Watson. Thompson’s provides what fans of Rickman might be most interested in; his diary is not the easiest thing to get through, especially if you want your illusions about the charm and signficance of Harry Potter left intact!
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton. This memoir from Tom Felton “Draco Malfoy” in the Harry Potter movies details what it was like to grow up in the Harry Potter world but not as one of the top three (Harry, Ron and Hermione.) He had more of a normal life than they did in many ways, and writes from a nuanced perspective. This was a satisfying and touching read. Any Harry Potter fan, or memoir buff, will find this interesting.
Milk and Juice: a Recycling Romance is the 2022 Ladybug award winner! The story tells the impactful use of recycling and shows how many times an object can be reused in different ways. The illustrations are beautiful and help you connect to the story in a meaningful way.
I haven’t read Blowback yet. I got two copies because of the popularity of James Patterson and NH author Brendan DuBois and right now they’re both checked out. The premise is what would happen if the president of the US turned out to be a psychopath. I don’t read much Patterson but I want to read this one because of the partnership with DuBois. I’ve read the books Patterson partnered with the Clintons to write, and enjoyed them.
The TikTok inspired Colleen Hoover craze caused me to read this book, It Ends With Us. I had read Verity and not particularly liked it but I tried this one too. I found it a bit more believable and less disturbing than Verity, but I think I’m done reading her books. No judgment against anyone who likes them. They are easy reads, and we all need those sometimes!
I was listening to the juvenile fantasy Skin of the Sea on NHDB using the Libby app at the time of the backlash about the live action Little Mermaid casting a Black actress. The book is well written and vivid, crammed with West African mythology including mermaids or “Mami Wata.” There were times I felt it was too crammed, that maybe the main characters didn’t need to interact with every single West African mythological being in their journey! But it was a fresh angle on the Little Mermaid tale and of interest to anyone who is interested in African culture.
This addictively charming graphic novel Lore Olympus series depicts a modern-day version of the romance between Hades, god of the Underworld and Persephone, goddess of Spring. The characters are endearing and the artwork dreamy and sweet. We have the first two books in the library and I am eagerly awaiting book 3.
The Counselors is an intriguing YA realistic fiction. The setting is a summer camp in the middle of nowhere Vermont. I am only half way through and can’t put it down!!