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 of 2024?
The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano has hands down been my favorite series so far this year. This series is a witty, adult mystery that follows a writer and single mother who has by a series of events, into an amateur sleuth. I literally laughed out loud and cried during this must read series!
The FInlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano is available at both Fort Branch and Haubstadt libraries. It is also available on Libby in e-book and audiobook forms.
What is a junior book that you think everyone should read?
Not Nothing by Gayle Forman is a must read for everyone! Ales is a boy whose father is gone, his mother is struggling with mental health issues, and he’s now living with an aunt and uncle who are less than excited to have him. Almost everyone treats him as though he doesn’t matter at all, like he’s nothing. He makes a mistake and gets into a bit of trouble where his social worker pulls some strings and gets him a job at a nursing home for the summer rather than being sent to juvie. There, he meets Josey, the 107-year-old Holocaust survivor, and Maya-Jade, the granddaughter of one of the residents with an overblown sense of importance. Alex and Josey form an unlikely bond, with Josey confiding in him, Alex starts to believe he can make a difference—a good difference—in the world. If he can truly feel he matters, Alex may be able to finally rise to the occasion of his own life.
Not Nothing by Gayle Forman is available on Libby in e-book and audiobook forms.
What upcoming release you are excited about?
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave.
The Night We Lost Him will be available at Fort Branch and Haubstadt libraries when it arrives later this month. It should also be on Libby at that time.