Staff Picks

Created on February 17, 2022, 4:05 pm

Last Updated January 4, 2023, 3:34 pm

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If you grew up in the 90s, you were probably a fan of the BSC series. This essay collection is filled with nostalgia like how you dotted your i's with hearts or tried to imitate Claudia's wardrobe. Look back at the series with grown up eyes and say hello to your old friends! - Deborah K
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The compelling story of the public health crisis and environmental disaster of Love Canal, both well told by the author and well read by the narrator. For readers who appreciated Blood in the Water and She Said. - Sarah D
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Ambrose trained to go to space all his life, but nothing prepared him to wake up mid-flight with no memory of takeoff. Or to be flying with a (very attractive) rival. Can Ambrose survive to carry out his mission? Sci-fi, adventure, mystery, romance - this book has it all! - Keren J
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When 17 year old Kareena earns an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, she knows it could be the start of a professional Muay Thai career if only she could afford it. A sweet YA about family, friendship, cultural identity, a boy, this is a light read perfect for summer! - Emily L
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A stunning and heart-wrenching documentary about how the aftermath of a tragic fire led to the exposure of corruption in the Romanian health care system. Following the reporters who wouldn't drop the story and a health minister trying to fix it, it's gripping and timely. - Jennie R
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Monique thinks a (literal) monster stole her girlfriend away while they were living together on the streets. When she goes searching, Monique finds herself deep underground in the midst of a group of cultists who worship a cosmic entity. A quick, creepy read. - Michelle M
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107) dead mountaineers inn one more last rite for the d
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This is a horror book with real gore. This is a book about revenge. This is a book about life on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and how that life stays with its residents through time and distance. This is even a book about basketball. This is a book you should read. - Heather C
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A 1950s British teacher decides to abandon her boring life by embarking on a life-changing adventure with her assistant to New Caledonia. Finding the beetle is her main goal, but she finds so much more along this endearing and hilarious adventure! - Rebecca C
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Taking place in Swanford Abbey, a luxury hotel that is rumored to be haunted, Rebecca is a guest when she becomes a suspect of a murder. What happens next is if you combine Agatha Christie with Jane Austen and a dash of the Brontes. Perfect for historical mystery fans! - Deborah K
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This second book of the Thursday Murder Club series is so good it can be read on its own. A group of four seniors living in an English retirement community are back at it. Full of wonderful characters, murders, lots of plot twists and many smile worthy moments, I loved it! - Mike N
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If you're looking for something magical and unusual, check out The Cartographers. Nell is blacklisted from her chosen field...by her father. When he dies unexpectedly, Nell rediscovers a seemingly worthless map that's tied to a family secret. Why did he keep the map hidden? - Karen G
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Fluffy McWhiskers is dangerously cute. She's so cute that everyone who sees her literally explodes. With everyone around her exploding, she's very sad and lonely. Her quest to safely make a friend will have readers exploding in laughter and requests to read it again. - Jennie R
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A razor-sharp poetic retort to the ableism found in Literature. Weise's incisive poems directly respond to the ways authors use disability as metaphor and the way disabled writers are expected to perform disability. Smart, moving, often funny, and very powerful. - Jennie R
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Winter’s Orbit is a lively mix of science fiction, murder mystery, political thriller, and romance with some fantastic world-building and humor to tie it all together. For fans of The Captive Prince and The Murderbot Diaries. - Sarah D
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Psychological SF thriller: a cave diver hired to explore a system of caverns and tunnels for a mining company begins to suspect that her employer has a hidden agenda. There may be ghosts or worse underground with her. Or she may be losing her grip on reality. - Charlotte M
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First mate Campion wakes at the end of a long space journey to find 31 passengers have been murdered when everyone was supposed to be asleep. She must solve the mystery with an investigator from colony Bloodroot and visitors from space station Lagos. Creepy and suspenseful! - Michelle M
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Following the stories of several of Pan Am’s stewardesses, Cooke details how working for the airline let them travel the world and gain more freedom than many of their contemporaries, even when caught in the middle of coups and wars! Fascinating and eye-opening. - Jennifer R
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After the 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake struck in 1964, Anchorage reporter Genie Chance took to the airwaves, issuing warnings, information, and comfort to a devastated city. Through the lens of her reporting, we get a gripping account of the quake and the following days. - Jennifer R
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This series of essays reflects on the role pop culture has played in Branum's life. Part cultural commentary, part memoir, he is insightful and hilarious when discussing everything from Chelsea Handler to The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. - Jennifer R
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