Catherine Coles
Coles Notes
The staff of the County of L&A Libraries are avid readers and always eager to share their favourite books. Here we bring you a list of some of the reads we’ve enjoyed this month. Some are brand new, and some are old but timely; there’s fiction and non-fiction and even YA. Hopefully you’ll find something that piques your interest!
Kristin suggests
Still Me by Jojo Moyes
“The lovable and recognizable heroine of Me Before You and After You returns for a third go-around but this time a job opening is going to take her to New York City.
Jojo Moyes is highly talented and let me tell you her writing skills are still top notch because I was just flying through the pages of this book! After the death of Will and finding new love again with Sam, Louisa is ready to take on a new adventure by working for a prestigious couple living on Fifth Avenue.
The new city is fascinating but eventually she will begin to see that the job is harder than it first looked, along with the fact that it is awful lonely for a girl whose boyfriend lives on a different continent.
Louisa continues to be the perfect mix of silly and brilliant that we all remember from previous novels. It was utterly satisfying watching her navigate such a foreign world and seeing how she deals with whatever problems cross her path.”
Jennifer suggests
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
“This young adult novel offers a character-driven storyline with a lyrical writing style.
Jade lives in a poor black neighbourhood and attends a white private school on scholarship. While she hopes to study abroad she is instead placed in a mentorship program. A nuanced reflection, Jade expresses misgivings about her mentor and resentment towards the school’s handling of her.
She also expresses gratefulness for friends and family and joy in creativity as a collage artist. Jade’s poetic observations about making her way as a black teen in a white society show the barriers she faces: revealing what white privilege looks, sounds and feels like. If you are interested in social issues, open to diverse characters, appreciate the healing power of art, or simply enjoy a very thoughtful and smoothly written novel, try this book!”
Julie suggests Endurance: A Year in Space by Scott Kelly
This high-soaring memoir is about Scott Kelly’s path to space which was not the typical astronaut’s voyage.
In this book, he tells the ups and downs of his life to date and what eventually led him to hold the American record for most consecutive days in Space. He was also a human guinea pig, testing the effects of long term space living compared to his twin astronaut brother.
Interestingly enough, it has just been released that his DNA has been affected by his stay in space. This book is perfect for memoir lovers and for people who love adventure in real life and the comfort of their armchair.
Karen suggests The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley’s latest offers another delightful outing with 12-year-old sleuth Flavia De Luce. We see signs of Flavia maturing in her relationships with her sisters and others around her – but not too much. Fans of the series will be happy with this one.
If you haven’t read the other books and would enjoy hearing about life and solving mysteries from the viewpoint of a precocious 12-year-old girl, I suggest starting at the beginning with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
Shelby suggests Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian and speculative fiction novel. Its fast paced plot and thought provoking theme will give readers great enjoyment. Although published in 1953, it is being reintroduced as a movie adaption, set to hit theatres in May 2018.
Its terrifying premise is more relevant today than ever: What if our right to knowledge was forbidden? What if technology controlled us all? These questions as well as their repercussions are a reality for protagonist Guy Montag.
Guy is a “fireman” responsible for burning the most illegal of things: printed books. One day everything changes when he meets a curious young girl, who inspires him to make a dramatic change and risk everything he knows for a cause he believes in.
Whether you love speculative fiction or are looking to explore the genre, this novel is always worth a read.
You can reserve any of the titles mentioned here at your branch of the County of Lennox & Addington Libraries or online at countylibrary.ca.