A collection of library staff recommendations. See what we're reading, and maybe find a new favorite book!
Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
This is one of my favorite books this year. I love their writing and the main character is captivating and fierce and full of righteous anger.
Recommended by Cat
A Quiet Tide by Marianne Lee
Ireland’s first female botanist, Ellen Hutchins (1785–1815) was a major contributor to nineteenth-century scientific discovery. She catalogued over a thousand species of seaweed and plants from her native Bantry Bay in Cork County. In this, her debut novel, Marianne Lee intertwines fact with fiction to imagine Ellen’s rich but troubled inner life, repressed by the family and class confines of her era. Lee creates an interesting narrative by revealing Ellen through her own thoughts, in letters she exchanged with recognized male botanists, and with the botanists' statements of admiration for her work.
Recommended by Barbara H.
Bindu's Bindis by Supriya Kelkar
A wonderful intergenerational story of love and self acceptance brought to life through stunning colorful illustrations by Parvati Pillai.
Recommended by Catherine G.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Think of all the classic Gothic fiction tropes: a bold heroine, a sinister aristocratic family, a house that may or may not be haunted. What would those look like through a non-Eurocentric lens, one that focused on the horrific legacies of colonialism? The answer: it would look exactly like this novel.
Recommended by Nicole K.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A beautiful, intelligent, and meditative book which methodically ruminates on the social inevitabilities of political/socio-economic structures like anarchism and capitalism. More importantly, it investigates, through the view of our anarchic protagonist, the flaws and power structures within each system, and how even a single person can enact change and give voice to those who need it most.
Recommended by Jason H.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
The events in this novel were different, imaginative, and very unexpected.
Recommended by Cindy F.
Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis
A beautiful story about friendship, community, activism and much more.
Recommended by Amy H.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan (story) and Fiona Staples (Illustration)
Saga, a comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan (story) and Fiona Staples (Illustration), depicts the trials and tribulations of Alana and Marko, two combatants from both sides of a never-ending war who fall in love, unleashing a full-blown intergalactic crisis. The story is told from the view of their infant offspring, and touches upon subjects such as ethnicity, violence, social roles and expectations, sexuality and gender identity.
Recommended by Rodrigo C.
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne maree brown
A wonderful book about creating impactful change while staying centered in one's values.
Recommended by Amy H.
