Staff Picks

Check the blog every Wednesday for updates on what our staff is reading and recommendations for our new and all-time favorite books. What is your favorite book? Post your answer in the comments section below. To see all previous Staff Picks posts, simply type "Staff Picks" in the search box at the top left of this blog and click the "search blog" button.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - recommended by Christine
A moving story about a birthday party in South America that is taken hostage. You'll enjoy.

The Ride of Our Lives by mike Leonard - recommended by Valerie
Family comes first - especially in this warm and personal account of a grown son taking his folks on a cross-country trip by RV.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - recommended by Megan
In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys--best friends--are playing in a Little League baseball game in New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills his best friend's mother. Owen Meany believes he didn't hit the ball by accident. He believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after 1953 is extraordinary and terrifying. He is Irving's most heartbreaking hero. - from the book Jacket. I challenge you not to fall in love with this character!

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad - recommended by Christine
If you enjoyed "A Thousand splendid suns." You'll like this account of a journalists stay with a family in Kabul.

Quote of the Week

"The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams"

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Staff Picks
Check the blog every Wednesday for updates on what our staff is reading and recommendations for our new and all-time favorite books. What is your favorite book? Post your answer in the comments section below. To see all previous Staff Picks posts, simply type "Staff Picks" in the search box at the top left of this blog and click the "search blog" button.

The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons - recommended by Jeff
Not to be confused with the current Robert Crais novel, The Watchman, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons graphic novel The Watchmen was originally released in the mid 1980s. Set in an alternative time line where Richard Nixon didn't resign, and super heroes exist and have been outlawed by the government, the story follows a group of retired heroes as they examine the murder of one of their comrades. With multiple stories intertwining and twists and turns to keep you guessing, The Watchmen has been hailed by Time Magazine as one of the best novels written in English since 1923. I highly recommend it for people looking for a different kind of read.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Talk about ambitious! If you've ever thought about trekking, read this hilarious true story.

The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran - recommended by Valerie

Mama Mia! We all have an inner Italian. Read this for "Scoppio de risa" (Gales of Laughter).

Quote of the Week

"You can't try to do things; you simply must do them"

- Ray Bradbury

Staff Picks

Check the blog every Wednesday for updates on what our staff is reading and recommendations for our new and all-time favorite books. What is your favorite book? Post your answer in the comments section below. To see all previous Staff Picks posts, simply type "Staff Picks" in the search box at the top left of this blog and click the "search blog" button.

Sisters by Danielle Steel - recommended by Toni
Four sisters, one Manhattan apartment, and a tumultuous year of loss and discovery are at the heart of Steel's latest novel about a remarkable family, a heartbreaking tragedy, and what happens when four very different women come together as one.

No Regrets by Ann Rule - recommended by Valerie
Ann Rule "Rules" true crime tales at their best. Gripping and well written

Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener - recommended by Christine
Michener’s first and shortest novel that won a Pulitzer prize. Amazing Stories about the battle for the Pacific during WWII. Men and women readers will enjoy

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - recommended by Megan
A mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany- from the book Jacket.

Quote of the Week

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx

Staff Picks
Check the blog every Wednesday for updates on what our staff is reading and recommendations for our new and all-time favorite books. What is your favorite book? Post your answer in the comments section below. To see all previous Staff Picks posts, simply type "Staff Picks" in the search box at the top left of this blog and click the "search blog" button.

Body in the Library: A Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie - recommended by Valerie
Still nobody does it better - the British "who done it" -than Agatha Christie. Brew a cup of tea and enjoy.


In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - recommended by Christine
A very interesting non-fiction read by Truman Capote. You will enjoy this book.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner - recommended by Megan
This book will make you laugh. It's a fun read about a plus-sized woman whose life takes some sudden turns. She handles each new adventure with a sense of humor.


The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough - recommended by Maysoun
"This is the chronicle of three generations of Clearys, ranchers carving lives from a beautiful, hard land while contending with the bitterness, frailty, and secrets that penetrate their family. Most of all, it is the story of only daughter Meggie and her lifelong relationship with the haunted priest Father Ralph de Bricassart-an intense joining of two hearts and souls that dangerously oversteps sacred boundaries of ethics and dogma.A poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit" - from the book jacket

Quote of the Week

The medicine chest of the soul
— Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes.