MADreads Reviews

It's that time of year when the world falls in love
Every song you hear seems to say, happy reading
May all your book dreams come true...

NPR's Book Concierge is back for 2018 and there are more then 300 titles for you to sort and peruse. You can look at all 319 titles or you can break it down by category. Or if you want to narrow it down even more, pick a couple of categories and see which titles fit your new criteria. There is quite simply something for everyone in this massive catalog. So take a look. Do you want to see which two books work for Art Lovers and Book Clubs? It's possible. How about the Comic/Graphic Novel that is Rather Short? You got it.

How often are two siblings really good at the same thing? There’s Venus and Serena Williams, Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Bronte sisters... it’s not unheard of, but it’s not super common either. Anyway, after reading An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, I would definitely add John and Hank Green to the list of talented siblings. I’ve been a John Green fan for a long time and I knew that he and his brother Hank made great YouTube videos, but I didn’t have super high expectations for Hank’s debut novel.

Have you ever had a truly special pet? Not just a pet that you love and care for, but a pet who profoundly changes you? Naturalist and National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery refers to "a lifetime dog" even though she's known three or four of these and many more animals that she considers notable. I, too, have had three of these "lifetime" pets in my world, plus a few that were honorable mention. 

Veronica Speedwell and her cantankerous companion Stoker return in their fourth adventure. Veronica is just back in England after a lengthy butterfly hunting trip abroad. She'd been using the time away to try and figure out where her feelings stand in regard to Stoker but still hasn't figured anything out. So an invitation from Stoker's brother, Tiberius, to attend a house party at the estate of Lord Malcolm Romilly, which is on an island off the coast of Cornwall, seems just the ticket to distract her.

But stay away, Gidget is spoken for! Who knows all of the lyrics to the theme song of Gidget, (Wait 'Til You See) My Gidget?" What about "Who Needs Wings to Fly?" the theme song from The Flying Nun? I do! If you spot me at the Central Library please ask and I'll perform them for you! Just kidding. I will not. But if you want to talk about Sally Field's new memoir, you know where to find me.

We are starting to see best of the year lists and In Pieces is high on mine. What a smart, compelling memoir.

Francis the donkey is a shoemaker. He does what he loves and makes the other animals very happy with his beautiful shoes. He has great friends and a comfortable routine.

Odd, weird, and little says it all, when describing the new kid in Woodrow’s classroom. Toulouse is his name, he’s from Quebec, he wears a fancy suit and carries a briefcase, and he speaks French. Woodrow, the book’s narrator and the current odd-man-out at school, is immediately intrigued with Toulouse, but he wonders if it would be worth it befriending this unique and rather owlish new student. Woodrow defends Toulouse against the classroom bullies, and Toulouse helps Woodrow, while simultaneously showing off his exceptional talents, and the two become friends.

“You are an adventure I’ve always wanted to take—and I’m so glad I have. But adventures have consequences…. You know, I’m not sure they would be adventures if they didn’t.” 

At the 2018 Cheryl Rosen Weston Memorial Lecture, Susan Orlean, hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and the acclaimed bestselling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief, reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—our libraries.

Two girls, Lollipop and her sister Tasha are both dancing to their favorite tunes as their parents remind them it is time to slow down, settle and get ready for bed. The language of Montanari’s Hip-Hop lullaby dances across the page in perfect meter. Pinkney’s soft, fluid illustrations provide pitch perfect movement as he depicts this warm family moment as simultaneously universal (how to get energetic youngsters to bed) and unique (to hip-hop, techno and dance fans). This is a wonderful read-aloud for any time of day including tuck-in time.

Empire covers New Orleans history and culture from the 1880s to the 1930s and reading it while situated in a world that seems obsessed with the vice of others made for a nicely synergistic experience. Krist focuses on the New Orleans vice district, Storyville, and the far-reaching impact the it had on the city's politicians, power-brokers, mobsters and the black population who saw New Orleans fall under the worst of what the Jim Crow south had to offer.

Wisconsin Book Festival Event
Central Library - Madison Room
November 7th, 7 pm

“The baby is dead.”

That’s the first sentence.

Here’s a suspense thriller that puts it all out there from the get-go. Generally unconcerned with twists or secret motives, The Perfect Nanny really isn’t for you if you’re craving an old-fashioned who-done-it. But if you want a psychological horror show that is as literary as it is tawdry, Slimani serves it up on a platinum platter.

Looking for something that will scare your socks off? 

And we're allowed to sit back and enjoy the show. I'm talking about Hollywood's most charming couple, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. Their new book, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History shares the story of how they met and what their romance is all about. It's no surprise these two beautiful people met doing something actor-y while living in California. It's what they are all about that is the most fascinating. 

Here are some highlights:

In book two of her series (after The Dark Lake), author Sarah Bailey transplants Detective Gemma Woodstock from a small rural Australian town, to Melbourne where she struggles to find her place, both in the large city and in her new job with the Melbourne police.

Charlotte Gorman and her twin Ginny could not be more different. Where Charlotte favors Harry Potter t-shirts and jeans, Ginny wouldn't be caught out in public (or on her Instagram feed) in anything less then full makeup and fashion-forward outfits. And where Charlotte is an elementary school librarian, Ginny is a beauty pageant professional. And it's at Ginny's latest pageant, Miss American Treasure, where their two disparate lives collide.

Sheets combines gently confused spookiness with Halloween past and present in an uplifting tale of friendship and acceptance.

This is another great romantic comedy from the writing duo Christina Lauren. Millie, a true crime professor, and her four male friends/colleagues decide to wade into the cesspit of online dating together, and when Millie accidentally matches with her friend Reid, chaos ensues. Anyone who has tried online dating will commiserate with Millie and her friends as they struggle to find love online. This book was laugh out loud funny, sweet, and I gobbled it up in one sitting. Recommended for fans of Helen Hoang, Sally Thorne, and Penny Reid.