from Marya Johnston (owner)…
My reading is very eclectic. I read everything! My favorite book is always the last one I read. (I have come up with a couple for you, though):
Heartland: An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest.
by Sarah Smarsh
This is an evocative tale of growing up poor and barely getting by in “flyover country”, the plains of western Kansas and eastern Colorado. Sarah’s vivid descriptions are seared into my mind, of her aunts running a truckstop cafe, her grandparents drinking and dancing after work drained summers on the farm, the women working just as hard or harder than the men. We know these people. A little bit Educated, a little bit Hillbilly Elegy, this book is a testament to the power of education to lift one up beyond one’s circumstances.
For Teens:
I loved Seafire by Natalie C. Parker! It’s probably one of the most inventive, creative books I’ve read since The Hunger Games.
First in a series. Revenge! Mayhem! Girl Pirates! What’s NOT to like??
For Middle-Grade Readers:
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden is more well known for her adult fantasy books based on folk tales (The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower), but her foray into middle readers was a hit with me. Kids love to be scared, but not frightened, and this book ticks all the boxes for an October read. It’s scary, without being TOO scary.
Ollie is sick of being pitied since her mother died and yet….she keeps getting messages on her watch telling her to “run” and “avoid small spaces”. Could it be her mother trying to protect Ollie from the pumpkin-headed scarecrows on the farm field trip? With that, this deliciously creepy and spine-tingling adventure begins…
VOX
by Christina Dalcher
Black Out and All Clear
by Connie Willis
respond. The rules may have to go if the 3 are to survive the bombing of London and Dunkirk. Willis will leave you breathless and with a desire to know more as a club of thieves, illegal traffickers, and obsessionists. This is no longer a gentleman’s sport.
Legion by Brandon Sanderson.
A genius cannot hold all of his knowledge in his head, so he imagines many separate experts to help him. Super fun! A thriller that will make you question reality.
– Cameron
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Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison.
It is the right time in our collective conversation for this amazing heroine and the themes in this book of self-awareness, belonging, discrimination, exploitation, and loyalty. A resonating story for our time and collective conversation.
The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White. This is a modern story entwined with history and a bit of 1915 mystery (the Lusitania’s sinking) and how it impacted a family, generations later. A fun romance and a mix of voices from the authors who collaborated to make this book a terrific read….or a great gift!
– Victoria
from Marya Johnston (owner)… My reading is very eclectic. I read everything! My favorite book is always the last one I read. (I have come up with a couple for you, though): Heartland: An eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in the American Midwest. by Sarah Smarsh This is an evocative tale of growing up poor and […]
We've put together some books we're looking forward to.