Three on a Theme: There’s a Rabbit on Your Book

Two new novels and one of last year’s fiction gems have an obvious link with a distinct long-eared creature on the cover. What these books really have in common, however, is within their pages of bitingly funny fiction.

Rabbits for Food by Binnie Kirshenbaum (May 2019)
It’s been ten years since we’ve been treated to a novel by the hilarious Kirshenbaum, and this new one is worthy of a celebration. In Rabbits for Food, Bunny, a novelist, heads into a clinical depression as she waits for a therapy dog that never arrives. How could this possibly be funny? Well,

Summer Book Bingo — let the reading begin!

It’s time for our fifth season of Summer Book Bingo for grownups! We know you can’t wait to see this year’s categories, so here you go.

First thing you need to do to get started on Book Bingo: head on over to your neighborhood library and pick up a card!  You can also download cards in English and Spanish at our Book Bingo site. Write down the titles/authors of books you read between May 15 (today!) and Sept. 3, 2019 that fit challenges on your bingo card. This year you’ll see familiar categories (read a book recommended by a librarian or an independent bookseller, read a book set in the Northwest), as well as new challenges such as reading a book about music, science, or a subject you wish you’d studied in school. For the DIY (do it yourself) category, read a cookbook, a craft book, or any kind of book that teaches you how to make something (we won’t be asking if you actually made the thing, as reading about making the thing can be super enjoyable). And for that category in the bottom row that takes up TWO squares? Put the title of one BIG book you read. You can decide how many pages this needs to be for it to be a challenge for you: 500 pages? 600? 1,000?? It’s up to you. REALLY. You decide. (We suggest, however, that you do make a note of the page count, along with the title and author.)

Library Reads for April 2019

Ten books coming in April that librarians across the US are loving.

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
The Ferriday family (The Lilac Girls) returns in this story of love, loss, and triumph. The voices of four compelling female characters tell of the devastating effects of the Russian Revolution and World War I. Highly recommended for book clubs and fans of Anthony Doerr, Susan Meissner, and Lauren Belfer. ~ Mamie Ney, Auburn Public Library, Auburn, ME

Library Reads for March 2019

Here’s a list of 12 novels releasing in March that librarians across the United States are recommending. And because librarians made this list, you’ll also find a “read-alike” entry at the end of each description. Why a read-alike? They work two ways: If you recognize the suggested read-alike title as one you enjoyed before, it lets you know that this new title is one you might like, too. The other way read-alikes are helpful is that they tend to be older and more widely available titles. If there’s a long wait list for the featured title, and it sounds like the perfect book for you, the suggested read-alike may be something you’d also like — and can get quickly. You’ll notice that in the descriptions for the new 2019 books that librarians often add a line along the same lines, such as “if you liked Gillian Flynn, try this one.” In a nutshell, this monthly list has solid recommendations, with insightful guidance for a variety of reading tastes.

Big Golden Books for February

While many books each year have “golden” in the title, these three novels caught my eye. Each had substantial pre-publication buzz and excitement, and all three are out in the world this month. Take a look at these highly anticipated books:

Golden State by Ben H. Winters: Set in the near future, California is a sovereign state where telling a lie can land you in jail.  “Winters has a knack for creating appealing detective fictions that skew reality in thought-provoking ways, producing a hybrid of the familiar and the uncanny,” says a review in the Washington Post. A strong speculative and literary author, you may already know Winters for  Underground Airlines as well as The Last Policeman trilogy.  See also this article about the book from NPR from Feb. 10, 2019. Golden State is a new Peak Pick this month!