Shelf Talk 46: Staff Reading Recommendations

For the past few weeks, we have experienced one of the warmest parts of a Southern Summer. If you’re looking for a way to combat this heat, visiting your local library is perfect! We offer plenty of in-house past times including free Wi-Fi, computer access, and gaming, but we also have a piece of the library you can take home with you. Books! We understand that finding a book that interests you or deciding what to read next can be hard. Our staff is available to help you locate specific books within our system or give recommendations. We asked our staff to share their favorite book, genre, author, or what they are currently reading. Below are some of those responses. The system’s Assistant Director, Billie Bowman says, “My favorite genres to read are mysteries and psychological thrillers. Right now, I am reading The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf. I just started it, but I think it's going to be a good, suspenseful book. I always have a ton of books on my "to-read shelf” but still have a hard time deciding what to read next. If you have any suggestions, send them to me!” Billie can be contacted with suggestions at bbowman@mclibrary.net. Randy Newman, our system’s Technology Specialist shared his thoughts “Harry Potter is arguably the greatest series of books ever written and my all-time favorite.” Randy’s favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi books. Right now, he is reading "The Atlas Six" by Olivie Blake. Randy also reads at least one book a month for our monthly book club. The book club is held monthly at the Blytheville Library, and everyone is welcome to attend. Lilly McGarrity shared a book she particularly enjoyed and one she is currently reading. “My favorite book? I have no favorite, but I truly liked Book Women of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. Cussy Mary was a woman with a genetic condition that turned her skin blue. A Librarian in Kentucky, going door to door delivering books and picking upold books. A book I want to read is Bookwoman's Daughter I am now reading Dolly Parton's book Dream More. Dolly says, "Celebrate the dreamer in you." Dream, work hard and put action with those dreams. My personal favorite book was one that I read in high school. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is a historical fiction novel that shares the point of view of four different people in World War II. These four people all come from different backgrounds, but their paths cross at certain points within the book. Historical fiction is usually my go-to genre since it tells a story based on past events, and the possibility that someone could have a similar life experience draws me in. We hope that by sharing some of our favorites, it will inspire you to read something new. Don’t forget that our library system also offers audio and e-books. We also have an app called “Libby” that is home to thousands of e-books, and all you need to access it is a log-in through your library card. Happy reading