Staff Picks

Find Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops in our online catalog. 

Told from three different perspectives, Half of a Yellow Sun follows of the events leading to the Nigerian Civil War and the creation of the country known as Biafra. In this highly character driven novel, Adichie smoothly ties the personal with the political. The book is a reminder not to forget the past or the roles that people have played in causing, or enabling, atrocities.

 

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Re-creates the 1960s struggle of Biafra to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, following the intertwined lives of the characters through a military coup, the Biafran secession, and the resulting civil war.

 

A rollicking, funny, and personal account of the band of eccentrics who scoured the Rocky Mountains from 2010 to 2020 in search of New Mexico art dealer Forest Fenn's hidden chest of gold and jewels. The author started searching for the treasure in 2017 but eventually became more taken with his fellow hunters than the treasure itself. Full of plot twists and insights into the nature of obsession, this is a great read for fans of The Orchid Thief and Born to Run.

 

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A full-throttle, first-person account of the treasure hunt set in motion by Forest Fenn--an eccentric art dealer and, some would say, robber baron--in 2010 that lasted a full decade and became the stuff of contemporary legend. When Forest Fenn was told he was going to die, he hid a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness and published a poem that contained a series of clues about the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and he wouldn't reveal the location. The wild hunt went on for another ten years. Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017 when a friend began decoding the poem and convinced Barbarisi to catalogue his search. What began as a great story documenting the history of Fenn's treasure hunt--the rumors, characters, and pitfalls--quickly turned into a personal quest, as Barbarisi found himself on a sometimes reckless and possibly dead-end path, despite having a family at home. Over the course of the next three years, several searchers would die, endless controversies would erupt, and one anonymous unknown would find the ultimate prize. Rich with mystery, danger, and break-neck action, Barbarisi's account of the imagination and drive of desire, of obsession, and of a particularly unbridled adventure is pure gold on the page.

 

A brilliant story about being true to yourself and listening to who you really are even in a crowd of voices that are telling you something else.

 

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Red's factory-applied label clearly says that he is red, but despite the best efforts of his teacher, fellow crayons and art supplies, and family members, he cannot seem to do anything right until a new friend offers a fresh perspective.

 

This book is hilarious, moving, thrilling, and impossible to explain. You might think you know what it's about--Hazel has left her tech entrepreneur husband after he threatens to put a melding chip in her brain, and now must find her way in the world again--but I guarantee you won't see half of what's coming. A fantastic read best experienced in one gulp!

 

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Moving to a senior citizen trailer park with her father, Hazel, the estranged wife of a corporate CEO who demanded she install a brain chip so that they could be constantly connected, tries to carve out a new life while her ex uses sophisticated technology to stalk her.

 

I've looked to this book again and again over the years, whenever the critic on my shoulder keeps me from writing. The title comes from a memory of the author's brother, stricken with the task of writing an essay about birds. Lamott's brother turns to their father for help, who tells him simply, "Just take it bird by bird." Written as if she's giving advice to an old friend, the book takes you through all the uncertainties and pitfalls of being a new, young writer, but even for practiced writers, her words still feel like a favorite comfy blanket. With practical and creative advice that comes from years of experience both writing and teaching, as well as prompts to help the reader engage with the ideas presented, I'll by using this book for help getting over writers block for many years to come.

 

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For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott's hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne's father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title: "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'" An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic

 

A Victorian dollhouse complete with a family of antique dolls is gifted to six-year-old Alice. When her parents' marriage starts to fall apart, she learns that she can shrink down and join the loving family within the dollhouse using a simple spell. Endless days playing and inventing with her antique siblings offers an invaluable escape from the misery outside. However, the real world takes a dark turn and begins to close in around the girl, prompting the house to make Alice an offer she can't refuse. For lovers of generational and cosmic horror.

 

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Alice loves to talk to her dolls, and her dolls and dollhouse love to talk back. When Alice is six, she is given a beautiful antique dollhouse. When things in her life get scary, Alice turns to her dolls and dollhouse for comfort. One day, they invite her to come play inside with them. As Alice's life is turned upside down in the "big" world, she is always welcomed home to the little world inside the dollhouse; the house will even grant her a wish if she agrees to live with them! Follow Alice through the door of the dollhouse and into the demon's den.

 

Life circumstances put Jess in a precarious situation, and now she's got to make the best of it. Can she rely on herself? Is anyone going to save her? Will Bo, her father's dog, help her? This story has wonderful pacing, developed characters, and will take you on a wild ride from start to finish. Reminiscent of Gary Paulen's Hatchet, in a great way.

 

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Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn't act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive--for now.

 

Find I Am Still Alive in our online catalog.
 

David Baldacci never seems to disappoint! Long Road to Mercy is the start of a series featuring Atlee Pine, the most compelling and unusual heroine he has yet to introduce. The beautiful setting for this thrilling mystery is the Grand Canyon, and it is fascinating how Baldacci uses this real life landmark to bring the adventure to a close. You will also enjoy the warm friendship between Atlee and her surprising assistant. You will want to read more.

 

Publisher description:

Atlee Pine, an FBI special agent assigned to the remote wilds of the western United States. Ever since her twin sister was abducted by a notorious serial killer at age five, Atlee has spent her life hunting down those who hurt others. And she's the best at it. She could be one of the Bureau's top criminal profilers, if she didn't prefer catching criminals in the vast wilderness of the West to climbing the career ladder in the D.C. office. Her chosen mission is a lonesome one--but that suits her just fine. Now, Atlee is called in to investigate the mutilated carcass of a mule found in the Grand Canyon--and hopefully, solve the disappearance of its rider. But this isn't the only recent disappearance. In fact, it may be just the first clue, the key to unraveling a rash of other similar missing persons cases in the canyon.