Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors
The 75th World Science Fiction Convention took place a week ago and the winners of their awards, the Hugos, were announced on August 11th and some great choices were made.
The Owl Diaries young reader series by Rebecca Elliot is officially the nicest and the cutest. Eva Wingdale lives with her owl family in Treetopolis. Eva's best friend is Lucy Beakman and her frenemy is Sue Clawson. The level of clever owl and bird word play in this series is spectacular. But what's really notable is the recognition and practice of thoughtfulness throughout all of the stories.
You know, dear readers, that when you’re excited for the titles the didn’t fit on the anticipated titles list as well as those that did, it’s going to be a good month for reading. September sees the start of the big fall publishing season, when publishers release their heavyweight titles in anticipation of the holiday and award seasons. This September is no exception. Here are some highlights:
This is a really great book with an engaging story line - that was also fast-paced and easy to follow. I could relate to many of the things in this story. I liked how the main character had a difficult past - but he was always trying to get through it. It also showed that he wasn't always having the best days - and sometimes what he did made it better, and - other times - made it worse. I enjoyed this book very much - and would recommend it to others!
As they start their marriage, Yejide and Akin are aware they’ve a lot to learn, but there is one thing they are sure of: theirs will be a monogamous marriage. In late 1980s Nigeria, it is still assumed that Akin will take several wives. The pair, who met at university and have thus far weathered Nigeria’s often volatile political and social climate, have the sort of love that is strong enough to withstand any outsider’s attempts to drive them apart. But Akin and Yejide may be their own greatest threat to their marriage, a discovery that comes almost too late.
I read a lot of picture books. Sometimes I love a book for the book itself and other times I love a book for the way children react to it. The first time I read "Dragons Love Tacos" I was not overly impressed. But after reading it with individual children and at storytimes with kids from ages 3-8, and seeing how much they loved the book, I became a fan. So, when I saw "Dragons Love Tacos 2 The Sequel" I had to read it.
There is not an easy way to classify this gorgeous, gorgeous book. It's cataloged and shelved with the cookbooks but there's a lot more going on here. It's an art book, a photography book, and a study of an artist.
