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Staff Picks January 2026 Reviews and Recommendations from Our Adult and Teen Services Staff |
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Astrid recommends: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBrideWhen a skeleton is unearthed in the small, close-knit community of Chicken Hill, Pennsylvania, in 1972, an unforgettable cast of characters, living on the margins of white, Christian America closely guard a secret, especially when the truth is revealed about what happened and the part the town's white establishment played in it. "This endlessly rich saga highlights the different ways in which people look out for one another" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Carly recommends: Saltcrop by Yume KitaseiIn Earth's not too distant future, seas consume coastal cities, highways disintegrate underwater, and mutant fish lurk in pirate-controlled depths. Skipper, a skilled sailor and the youngest of three sisters, earns money skimming and reselling plastic from the ocean to care for her ailing grandmother. But then her eldest sister, Nora, goes missing. Nora left home a decade ago in pursuit of a cure for failing crops all over the world. When Skipper and her other sister, Carmen, receive a cryptic plea for help, they must put aside their differences and set out across the sea to find—and save—her. "Luminous, credible, and engrossing from beginning to end" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Roseanne recommends: The Love Haters by Katherine CenterKatie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but pretends that she can. Plus, Cole and Hutch are brothers. And they don’t get along. Next stop: paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch along with his colorful aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two. "Striking a perfect balance of comedic moments and emotional authenticity, this may be Center's best yet" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Mallory recommends: The Second Chance Year by Melissa WiesnerWhen her wish to redo her awful year comes true, Sadie Thatcher, with her life in shambles, navigates her second chance, seeing the red flags she missed in both her relationship and career while harboring a secret crush on her brother’s best friend. "An ambitious woman finding her way in the world and the heart-meltingly caring man who loves her for who she is combine to make this a charming romance from Wiesner (It All Comes Back to You)" (Library Journal). |
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Abby recommends: The Great Alone by Kristin HannahWhen her volatile, former POW father impulsively moves the family to mid-1970s Alaska to live off the land, young Leni and her mother are forced to confront the dangers of their lack of preparedness in the wake of a dangerous winter season. "Though smaller in scope than her previous blockbuster, in this tightly focused drama, Hannah vividly evokes the natural beauty and danger of Alaska and paints a compelling portrait of a family in crisis and a community on the brink of change" (Booklist). |
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Kristin recommends: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta MagnussonA charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. Artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs listeners to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. " What makes this book worthwhile isn't the sorting tips. It's Magnusson's humorous common sense" (Booklist). |
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