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Year of Reading
For each book, we've included a list of Year of Reading categories. The Year of Reading is our year-long reading challenge. To learn more, check out our website here. Also note that all of these books count for the Book from the Staff Picks Display/Book We Reviewed on Goodreads cateogory! Many of these are also available on audio and can count for the Audiobook category. |
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The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet
by David Mitchell
Rachel says:
This is a great read for those who love historical fiction, but are burnt out from the eras that are often explored. This novel focuses on the Dutch trading companies in Japan in the late 1700s/early 1800s. The setting and characters are so unique, this is sure to be different than any novel you have read before, and yet it is reminiscent of the adventure stories you may have read as a kid but seem to be lacking in adult literature. Through this novel you get to explore historic Dutch and Japanese culture, trade ships, and religion, all while experiencing a compelling, character-driven narrative.
TW for graphic description of birth and mentions of sexual abuse.
Year of Reading categories: A Book with a Number in the Title; A Book About the Past; A Book Set in a Country you Want to Visit (Japan)
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Assassination Vacation, Take the Canolli, and Unfamiliar Fishes
by Sarah Vowell
Jeff says:
A trio of writing from a contributor to NPR’s This American Life, as well as the voice of Violet in The Incredibles, which focuses on not-so-typical travel destinations, or at least not for the reasons most people would travel to them.
These books are not really a trilogy, I just chose to read them together. Assassination Vacation begins with the author describing the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins, which a coworker recommended to me. She focuses on three presidential murders which Robert Todd Lincoln had the unfortunate experience of witnessing, the first of which was his own father. She travels to these locations in search of information, but especially any plaques that may commemorate the events.
Take the Cannoli takes its title from one of the author’s favorite movies, The Godfather. She enjoyed it so much that she travels to Sicily but just can’t bring herself to ask for a ticket to Corleone and walk in Al Pacino’s footsteps. She does make it to Hoboken, the hometown of Frank Sinatra in search of his history and any plaques they may have of his time growing up there.
In Unfamiliar Fishes, she travels to one of the best destinations for fun and sun, Hawaii. However, she goes to visit Pearl Harbor and discovers more of the dark side of America’s 50th state. Somewhat like wanting to listen to Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s version of Over the Rainbow, but hearing his song Hawaii ’78, which promotes Hawaiian rights and independence.
Year of Reading categories: A Book About the Past; A Book Set in A Country you Want to Visit (Take the Cannoli -- Italy)
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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil : a Savannah Story
by John Berendt
Carrie says:
They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and this is certainly true in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s an account of the 8 years that John Berendt spent in Savannah, Georgia. This book is not only a story of a murder, it’s also a travelogue of Savannah, and the eccentric people who live there. The murder trials of Jim Williams grip the entire city and give them plenty to gossip about. Residents like a foul-mouthed drag queen, a former lawyer/bar owner who “borrows” electricity from his neighbors to bypass the electric company, and a man who still walks a dog who’s been dead for 15 years, are some of the characters you’ll meet. I was so engrossed in the book that I had to keep reminding myself that it’s a work of nonfiction. To me, it reads just like a novel. The book spent four years on the New York Times bestseller list, and it’s for good reason. If you want to get lost in the eccentric world of Savannah, check out Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Year of Reading categories: Published at Least 25 Years Ago
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If You Tell : A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
by Gregg Olsen
Beth says:
If you like true crime, you won't want to miss If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen. This account of one family's terrible true story is very disturbing, but you won't want to put it down. You'll want to keep reading to see how they manage to get out of this dire situation. I don't want to give too much away, so just know that the subtitle tells it all!
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Moby-Dick, or, The Whale
by Herman Melville
Nick says:
I gave Moby Dick a try after I heard it talked about it in the media this summer. For the most part, reviewers gave credit to the novel for setting the stage for so many novels that came afterward but acknowledged that it was difficult to read especially when it gets into nautical minutiae. I enjoyed Moby Dick more than I expected. The novel reads in a very fresh and almost modern tone despite the archaic and specialized vocabulary strewn throughout. I even loved how the novel the delves into different nautical techniques and tools, and I especially enjoyed the infamous chapter that asks whether a whale is a fish or not (Herman insists that it is). I would recommend Moby Dick to any reader as so many tropes found their inspiration here.
Year of Reading categories: A Book by a Deceased Author; A Book Written at Least 25 Years Ago; A Book You Should Have Read in High School
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You Are Not Alone
by Greer Hendricks
Socorro says:
You Are Not Alone is an exciting psychological thriller with many twists along the way. Shay Miller doesn’t have much going on in her life; she recently lost her job, broke up with her college boyfriend, and had to move into a new place with a new roommate. Her life drastically changes upon witnessing the suicide of a stranger, Amanda, who threw herself in front of a bus. Shay becomes fixated on Amanda, and attends her funeral where she meets the Moore sisters. The Moore sisters take Shay under their wing and her life improves until they reveal their true colors.
If you enjoy books that are suspenseful and have complex, detailed characters, then this is the book for you. Hendrick and Pekkanen do an outstanding job of giving each character their own unique quirks, and they truly give the book dimension. The writing was captivating for the most part, but with this in mind it was occasionally a bit slow. All in all, the book is a great read, especially during this quarantine. Happy reading!
Year of Reading categories: A Book Published this Year
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Bone Fire
by Mark Spragg
Colleen says:
In this modern-day Western, we revisit many of the characters who populate the author's other two novels. While each book stands alone, I would suggest reading Spragg's books in order. This novel does bring closure to the story lines of a number of people I have loved getting to know. I feel like these are my friends (who all know how to ride a horse), and I hope Spragg will write other books, with or without these characters. Also worth reading is Spragg's memoir, Where Rivers Change Direction.
Year of Reading categories: A Western
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500 W. Irving Park Rd.
Itasca, Illinois 60143
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