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It's no secret that library staff read. A lot. And when we finish a great book we can't wait to recommend it! See what we've been reading below or visit our Staff Picks blog. You might just find your next favorite book! |
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Too Old For This
by Samantha Downing
Liz writes: Too Old for This (2025), by Samantha Downing, is told from the perspective of Lottie Jones, a “retired” serial killer in her 70s. Her quiet life, mostly consisting of church social events, is upended when a documentary filmmaker knocks on her door and asks to interview her about her past, when she was “wrongfully” accused of murder many years ago. Lottie doesn’t want anyone disrupting her quiet life, so she decides to come out of retirement one last time. Readers will be surprised to find themselves rooting for the darkly humorous Lottie as she deals with the inconveniences of killing in the modern age, when phones can track your every move. A fun thriller filled with plenty of dark humor!
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The Warm Hands of Ghosts
by Katherine Arden
Karen says: Katherine Arden's most recent novel, The Warm Hands of Ghosts (2024), expanded my understanding of what a novel dealing with an actual historical event can do. I nearly wrote "what historical novels can do," as this book focuses on events during World War I, but then realized that to do so would undercut my point.
The Warm Hands of Ghosts defies typical categories of genre, as it deals with history, and also has a speculative element. Some might call it a fantasy novel, but there are mysteries at play as well, and the book is something of a thriller. Oh, and there are several slender love stories running through the pages too. Talk about a mash up!
Readers who expect history to be factually based, and only that, may be disappointed or frustrated by The Warm Hands of Ghosts. I found the speculative sections intriguing, however, as they reflect, in a metaphorical way, on what is going on with the richly developed characters as they move through trauma. Lucy, a Canadian nurse on the front lines, and her brother Freddy, a soldier in the trenches, are the central points of view, and the horrors they, and other less central characters, experience are depicted in surreal passages that are as compelling as those that are realistically described.
Thanks to The Warm Hands of Ghosts, I learned a lot about the the strange horrors of WWI, when the established nineteenth century methods of combat confronted the more modern methods of the twentieth century, and the outcomes were disastrous. On a thematic level, Katherine Arden encouraged me to reflect on the experiences of survivors as they struggle toward some semblance of recovery. What have they lost, and how do they regain their lives? The experiences described are both harrowing, moving, and memorable.
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At the library Come visit us in person and we'd be happy to help you choose something perfect just for you. |
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Just for you For personalized recommendations, fill out a Book Match form. |
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