Jul 29, 2023 Staff Reads: Summer Picks
This summer at Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, we asked our staff to share the books they’re currently reading so we could pass along some of their book recommendations to you! If you’d like to see our staff tell you about their picks, click each staff member’s name to see a their video review.
Michelle, Youth Services Librarian
Right now I’m reading Sitcommentary: Television Comedies that Changed America by Mark A. Robinson. In this book, he goes through some of the most significant sitcoms that we’ve had in history. He talks about why they’re important in television history, the social issues that they talked about in their shows, and then how we can relate that to today. I’m a huge TV history nerd so this is definitely my kind of book. I think if you’re interested in television or history or even just sociology then this might be a book that you’d like too!
Lydia, Outreach Services Department Head (one of our Bookmobile librarians!):
I am reading Precious Little Sleep by Alexis Dubief. If you have a baby or have heard of a baby, you know how rare and precious sleep can be. And this book goes into all the details of the science behind babies’ sleep and little kids’ sleep and how to help them get their best sleep. I have found that it works for me, so if you’re up at 3 in the morning, desperately begging your child to go to sleep, I recommend picking up Precious Little Sleep.
Charity, Marketing Assistant
I’m reading The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. This is the story of orphans Peter and Adele and how a homesick elephant reunites them. Like a lot of Kate DiCamillo’s stories, this one is heartwarming and enchanting. It’s full of friendship and love. It’s atmospheric, full of longing. Whether you’re 8 or 80, if you like a story that adds up to more than the sum of its parts, I think you’ll love The Magicians’s Elephant.
Laurie, Assistant Circulation Department Head
I’m finishing up the 3rd book in the Beartown Trilogy titled The Winners, written by Fredrik Backman. As with many of his books, I don’t want it to end. Beartown is the first in the series and Us Against You is the second. You’ll probably want to read the books in order but according to many people, not necessarily. I for one am glad to have read them all. The book is set in a hockey loving town in northern Sweden, surrounded by forests. It’s about hockey, but it’s really NOT about hockey; it’s about the people in Beartown and the neighboring town of Hed.
The citizens of these small towns are the heart and soul of the book, with very quirky, big personalities: the kind of people you’ll fall in love with. The author is so good at masterfully dropping little bits of info to bring all the characters to life. I love his writing!!
Kelli, Youth Services Department Head
The latest book that I’ve read is called The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest. It’s an historical novel set during World War II on Long Beach, New York, and it tells the story from three different perspectives in various points of view. I really enjoyed this because you piece together the story as you read it from the different characters’ viewpoints of what’s going on. And you figure out how it is that they found the baby. Another technique the author uses is she doesn’t use quotation marks but she uses all caps to give dialogue, which is really interesting. Some people might not like it. I actually enjoyed it and thought it added to the stream of consciousness of the story. Anyway, I hope you’ll check out The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest.
Kaela, Teen and Adult Services Librarian
I’d love to share with you one of my all-time favorite books that I reread every summer when I need a touch of magic in my life. It’s called The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Allow me to set the scene: As you step through the wrought iron gates of the Night Circus, you enter a world of marvels beyond imagination. Each tent houses its own miraculous wonder, from a garden of ice to a labyrinth of illusions, from an enchanted carousel to a tent that houses your deepest dreams. But there’s more to this circus than meets the eye. Beneath the spectacle lies a high-stakes competition between two masterful illusionists, Celia and Marco. The circus is their battleground and how they showcase their unique abilities. Their love story is forbidden and beautiful, and you can’t help but desperately wanting to know how their story ends! Prepare to be captivated, for once you step through the gates of the Night Circus, you will find yourself forever chasing down the elusive wonder and magic inherent there.
