LIBRARY CORNER | 04/14/22

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Events in the library this week:

  • Tuesday—Story Time 11 a.m. | Watercolor 1:30 p.m.
  • Thursday—Family Night 6 p.m. | Book Club 6 p.m. (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine)
  • Friday—Painters 9:30 a.m.

One of the nicest things about being a librarian is hearing about what other folks love to read. One of my favorite reviewers is my son Kris. He works outside and is an avid audiobook user. He listens to more books than I can ever read. Recently, he said he found this “new” author and thought he was absolutely great. The author is Rick Bragg. I told Kris that Rick Bragg isn’t new and that I would read anything he wrote. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who also writes a monthly column for Southern Living. Begin with his early book All Over But the Shoutin’ and you’ll be hooked!

If you’re looking for a good book review community, go online and check out Goodreads. Thousands of people use the site. You can read and post reviews. It also includes a place to record what you read with or without a review. This comes in handy if, like me, you can’t remember the name of the book you read last week. You can always look at your Goodreads list and find it.

There are several Facebook Groups with book reviews. If you prefer one genre over another, you can key in that genre and get suggestions for groups to join. One of the best groups is What Should I Read. One of our favorite patrons is in that group and is currently reading and loving What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottaline.

We also look at the New York Times to see what’s popular. This week the number one book in fiction is Run, Rosie, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson. It’s been number one for four weeks. This book of fiction is very loosely based on Dolly Parton.

Number two on the fiction list, and new this week, is What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline. An encounter with members of a drug-trafficking organization forces a suburban family to go into the witness protection program.

Third on the list is Kate Quinn’s The Diamond Eye. Quin bases many of her historical fiction on real characters and this one is no exception. In 1937 Ukraine, a history student transforms into a hunter of Nazis and becomes known as Lady Death.

Number one in nonfiction is Will by Will Smith. His book has been on the bestseller list for 21 weeks. In it, the actor tells his life story and the lessons he has learned along the way. Apparently, he’s still learning some lessons.

Against All Odds by Alex Kershaw is the story of four soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for their service during World War II. This is the book’s second week on the bestseller list.

Drop by the library and tell me what you’re reading. See you there!

Helen Thompson, Director – Mount Pleasant Public Library