Staff Selections: Favorite Reads of 2020

I’ll admit that this isn’t the most uplifting title, but don’t let it scare you away. Gessen, a Russian born activist and journalist, chronicles the lives of four people born at the dawn of Russian democracy. She follows them as they come of age in a new Russia, but quickly begin struggling against a new, terrible regime. The four subjects have different and distinct backgrounds that provide us with a glimpse into the varying layers of Russian society and culture. Putin looms large in this book, but despite this I was still left with some hope for the future.

Last year, HBO captured the horrors of Chernobyl in their mini-series, but Higginbotham’s 2019 book takes us deeper into the story. I have long been fascinated by the Chernobyl disaster; it is something etched in my memory. This book is able to provide insight into the people on the ground, most effected, but also of the disaster’s impact on a national and global scale. It was simply excellent.

Doyle is a favorite of mine. I particularly love how he writes dialogue, and this book has plenty of it. Love is the story of two old friends reuniting in Dublin over dinner, drinks, more drinks, and some chaos. It is the slow unwinding of where their lives took an abrupt turn.

Another favorite author of mine, this book is the sequel to Days Without End. This book was both awful to read and something I could not put down. A Thousand Moons takes place in post-Civil War Tennessee and focuses on an orphaned girl of Lakota Indians. Her life could not be more difficult. Winona lives on a farm with an unconventional cast of characters who protect her, but also hold her back. Winona's coming of age story is equal parts terrifying and inspiring.

Off the top, I have to admit that this book is from 2016, but the newest in the series Hi Five was released this year. I am behind the curve on this series featuring the Sherlock Holmes of East Long Beach. IQ is a loner and a high school drop out with a mind on fire. Ide, who grew up in South Central LA, brings the city, the neighborhoods and the characters to life. There are colorful individuals, but also some colorful language. I look forward to reading the next four titles already out in this series.

“Bug was once known as the best getaway driver on the East Coast.” The book jacket had me there. Bug is a man hounded by his past, but also by his current conditions, dealing with financial setbacks, the stresses of raising a family, and the racial prejudices of his small Southern town. No matter which way Bug gets pulled, good or bad, you are rooting for him throughout the whole book.

In this book, le Carre once again brings us into the world of British spies. Rather than remaining focused on the Cold War, Agent takes place today, under the backdrop of Brexit and a looming new Russia. Our hero, Nat, is counting the days until retirement when he all of a sudden is thrust back into the game. Even this late in his career, le Carre is able to provide enough twists and turns to keep things exciting.

This was a lighter read, but still had enough depth to make it memorable. I will steal a description from Amazon, “This warm, wise, highly entertaining twenty-first century love story is about what happens when the person who makes you happiest is someone you never expected.” Sounds like a movie. Our protagonists are a nearly-divorced woman in her early forties who is coming to grips with being a single parent, and a twenty-something young man working several jobs, who comes from a much different background. Let the tension ensue.

A meteorite crashes to the ground in a remote Finnish town. It turns out that the meteorite has some value, so to keep it safe it is placed in the local museum under the watchful eye of a local pastor. The pastor finds himself trying to protect the meteorite, while also dealing with some mysteries in his personal life. This is a fun rollick in the snow; a good winter read.

Franco’s book tells a story of the collateral damage from Colombia’s dangerous drug cartels. The story follows the children and families left behind after cartel members disappear. This book follows the story of Larry who is returning to Colombia after being gone for twelve years. He returns to a different place, where people are who they seem, and the old life of luxury has been replaced by depression and addiction.

"I don't know if it was because of the setting - the 1918 pandemic - but I couldn't put it down."
-Marie

"As someone who had 5 uncles who served during WWII, three in the air corps, this resonated on many levels. The statistics on the dangers of flight training really hit home. The one uncle who didn't come home died in Nevada during a training flight. It's not an easy book to read, but I'm glad that I finally did."
-Elaine

"I particularly enjoyed Carnegies Maid and The Only Woman in the Room. I never really enjoyed history as a kid but these historical fiction novels have made me curious about what I missed while not paying attention!!"
-Diane

"I really enjoyed this book because it was so relatable to me. I went to parochial school and was lucky enough to have a number of nuns who were wonderful people. The good that they do is often overshadowed."
-Diane

"This title was assigned for my book group, and all of our members have really enjoyed it! Here the author has written an exploration of her own family history, but in the style of a mystery, which brings to light the complicated intergenerational dynamics she and her mother experienced. Cummins' writing is very accessible and the book includes several vintage photographs of her mother and grandparents, plus drawings and paintings to enhance the story of her parents as artists. Through this book, the author seems to have found peace with the extended family about which she knew little for many years."
-Jean

"I always enjoy his books as a change from my usual psychotic killers! It was very good, although it does end leaving you hanging. Probably (I hope) he is going to do a followup wrapping up the cases."
-Claudia

"The writing is just so good. A mix of memoir and fiction, full of heart and an unflinching look at the complications of family and more broadly, of America itself."
-Regan

"She succeeds at using the conversations she engages in everyday to reflect in a profoundly personal poetic style the institutionalized racism all around us. Ms. Rankine's poetic narrative style unflinchingly represents these interactions and internalizations and is a must-read to shed light on our nation's lack of empathy concerning racial injustice and what it means to those disenfranchised."
-Jen

"Un-put-downable. A wild ride, a really good read."
-Jan

"A fascinating read. Very well written."
-Jan

"If you like quirky characters, a little bit of escapist humor (and smut), and a lot of Shakespearean swearing, then this is the book for you!"
-Sara

[for middle-grade readers]
"This is a heartbreaking and important story about sisterhood, child abuse, and finding your voice. I recommend that parents read this and talk about it with their daughters!"
-Sara

-Liddie

-Liddie

This is #16 in her Inspector Gamache series, but it's set in Paris, not Three Pines. Her mysteries never disappoint.
-Rita

Fresh feasts to savor the season (cookbook) by Kate Bowler. Amazing recipes by a local cook. Each one is better than the last one. Try the grilled cheese sandwiches. Decadent! (bacon, fig, mayo, American cheese and cheddar cheese, all on brioche).
-Rita

This is a departure from Picoult's usual fare. The setting veers between the tombs of Egypt and Boston.
-Rita

This book is great. It was recommended in our program with Elin Hilderbrand.
-Jean