Category: Review
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Book Recommendation: ‘Tender Is the Flesh’ by Agustina Bazterrica
Recommended by MARY SAWYER, Ephraim Library Branch Manager Spooky season is upon us, and here at the library, people are asking for creepy reading recommendations. Some patrons want a Goosebumps scare that won’t keep them up at night; some want a vintage, Stephen King–style epic to get the blood pressure racing; and some scoff when […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny
Recommended by STEVEN RICE, Museum and Archives Manager, Door County Historical Museum The last novel written by fantasy grand master Roger Zelazny before his death, this lively mix of supernatural horror and literary crossover has become a modern cult classic. The plot centers around a cryptic occult game, played across London on Halloween, during which […]
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Recommended by LIZ WELTER, Owner and Bookseller at Novel Bay Booksellers This is the spooky season, and there’s nothing better than a comfy couch, dim lighting, a fireplace blazing and a good story. The Most Haunted House in America is a spooky story that the kiddos, adults and everyone in between will enjoy. The word […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Chainsaw Man, Vol. 1’ by Tatsuki Fujimoto
Recommended by ANDREW KLEIDON, Creative Director, Peninsula Pulse So maybe you want to check out this “anime thing” all the cool kids are talking about. Or maybe you’re already a fan who’s looking for the next big thing. Well, Chainsaw Man might be your best bet. Now, I don’t think Chainsaw Man is good beginner […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury
Recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Pulse staffer and bibliophile This month, our book recommendations have featured banned or challenged books to highlight Banned Books Week, which ran Sept. 18-24 this year. For my recommendation, I’m choosing Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The story follows firefighter Guy Montag, whose job is to burn books, which have become […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee
Recommended by JOHN MAGGITTI, co-owner, Novel Bay Booksellers On Oct. 23, 2018, PBS host Meredeth Vieira shared with us what many already knew: that To Kill a Mockingbird was the most beloved novel in America. So how is it that this piece of Americana has been banned and continues to be banned? Harper Lee’s story […]
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Book Recommendation: The Giver series by Lois Lowry
Recommended by MARGARET MAGLE, Co-owner, OtherWorlds Books & More For Banned Books month, I decided to highlight The Giver series by Lois Lowry. The quartet includes The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger and Son. The story revolves around the main character, 12-year-old Jonah. He belongs to a community that, on the surface, is perfect. Jonah faces […]
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Book Recommendations: Children’s Banned or Challenged Books
Recommended by Barb Husch, Branch Manager, Forestville Library During Banned Books Week, Sept. 18-24, we often review lists that include books that have been challenged or banned over the years. Children’s books are not immune to being challenged or banned, so I’m recommending a couple that are sometimes found on various lists. Walter the Farting […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Melissa’ by Alex Gino
Recommended by DOMINIC FRANDRUP, Director, Door County Library Written by Alex Gino, originally published with the title George in 2015 and republished with the title Melissa in 2022, this was the most banned book in America in 2020. Retitling a book after publication is a rare occurrence and was done by the author as a […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘The Seep’ by Chana Porter
Recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Peninsula Pulse staff member and bibliophile Have you ever read a book that makes you think, “What the heck did I just read?” Yeah, this is one of those – but in the best possible way. Trina Goldberg-Oneka is a trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘The Reading List’ by Sara Nisha Adams
Recommended by JEANINE BRENNAN, Branch Manager, Egg Harbor Library Sara Nisha Adams’ debut novel is about the superpowers of books. The story follows the discovery of a list of books with the heading, “Just in case you need it.” The list includes To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebecca, Life of Pi, The Kite Runner, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, A […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘The Bear’ by Andrew Krivak
Recommended by DAWN TAYLOR, Staff Member, Door County Library Post-apocalyptic science fiction is not a genre for everyone because it usually involves bleak stories portraying an unlivable world with dislikable characters taking advantage of those who are weaker. The Bear by Andrew Krivak offers a different dystopian world but still has the common elements of […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘The Gates of Europe’ by Serhii Plokhy
recommended by JOHN MAGGITTI, Co-owner, Novel Bay Booksellers This 2015 New York Times–bestselling nonfiction book has seen a resurgence in both popularity and importance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Author Serhii Plokhy gives us a balanced history lesson about this enigmatic part of Europe, walking us through the area’s history from 500 BCE until […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street’ by Susan Jane Gilman
recommended by REBECCA BUCHMANN, technical services, acquisitions/cataloger, Door County Library “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” July is National Ice Cream Month, so what better way to celebrate it than with a book featuring the Ice Cream Queen of America? Susan Jane Gilman’s novel The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Hello, Transcriber’ by Hannah Morrissey
Recommended by TINA KAKUSKE, Librarian Often-given advice to novice writers is to write about what they know. Wisconsin author Hannah Morrissey took that advice to heart by using her experience as a police transcriber to write her first novel, Hello, Transcriber. The premise of this fast-moving, suspenseful book is a police procedural set in Black […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘A Psalm for the Wild-Built’ by Becky Chambers
Recommended by ADAM WAYMAN, Bookseller, Fair Isle Books In our family book club – an idea we copied from Washington Island’s Hansen family – we’re often torn between wanting to read something unusual and thought-provoking, and picking something more comfortable and fun. Especially when looking at the news seems depressing (like now) and you’ve stressed out […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Meant to Be’ by Emily Giffin
Recommended by KARLIE MARTENS, Bookseller, Novel Bay Booksellers Looking for a great summer read? Meant to Be is a work of gold. The story features Joe and Cate as their lives entwine and they fall in love. If you love the Kennedy family, you’ll love this Kennedy-esque story full of family expectations, drama and love. […]
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Recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Pulse staffer and bibliophile When the end of the year comes around and I have some Christmas money in hand, I like to look at upcoming book publications for the next year and pre-order some that I’m most excited about. At the end of 2020, I came across The Forever Sea, […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘Facing the Mountain’
Recommended by MORGAN MANN, Head of Circulation, Door County Library Facing the Mountain, written by the author of The Boys in the Boat, is read by actor Louis Ozawa, who is best known for his role in the films Predators (2010) and The Bourne Legacy (2012). This audiobook – part history and part memoir – is […]
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Book Recommendation: ‘James Herriot’s Treasury for Children’ by James Herriot, read by Jim Dale
Recommended by BETH LOKKEN, Youth Services Librarian, Door County Library If you’ve recently watched the PBS reboot of All Creatures Great and Small, you need to listen to these eight sweet short stories by James Herriot himself. This audiobook is subtitled “Warm and Joyful Animal Tales,” and although I loved reading these stories in print form, […]