Looking for something new and different to read, look no further than this month’s staff picks! Each month we give a staff member a few prompts to pick some of their favorite books. September’s staff picks were chosen by our library clerk Dana.
What has been your favorite book this year?
“Night Road” by Kristin Hannah has been my favorite read of 2025 so far. This novel took me on a roller-coaster of emotions and beautiful writing. Just reading the blurb made my heart ache. “Night Road” is now one of my all-time, I will read again, top favorites.
Night Road by Kristin Hannah available at Fort Branch Library and on Libby as an e-book.
What is a junior book that you think everyone should read?
I recently read a Junior Fiction book, “The First State of Being” by Erin Entrada Kelly and loved it. Such a sweet and clever story! It is the story of Michael, a 12YO boy in the year 1999, who is scared about Y2K! He is a shy, nervous boy who constantly imagines the worst in any unknown scenario (relatable!). So he becomes seriously freaked out when he meets a strange boy named Ridge, who claims that he has transported himself from the future. Ridge is obsessed with the “history” of the 1990’s, like the music and the malls, but he knows that he needs to return to his own timeline before he alters history. Michael and his sometime-babysitter, Gibby, try to help him figure out how to get back. This book is a quick and entertaining read and it will put a smile on your face to see how everything-and everyone-fits together in the end!
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly is available at Fort Branch and Haubstadt and on Libby as an e-book or audiobook.
What is a book you are looking forward to reading?
“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman is next on my list to read. I plan on watching the TV series adaption and always enjoy the book first.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is available at Fort Branch and Haubstadt and on Libby as an e-book or audiobook.