Looking for something new to read? We’ll be sharing some staff favorites on the blog over the next few weeks. Sadly the library is currently closed, but titles are available from online retailers - and you can order online and have titles shipped from many of our local bookstores. Enjoy, stay safe, and #stayhome!
Alessa Wylie, local history expert and Education Manager at Landmarks, shared a list of some of her favorite books, including history and nonfiction as well as some fun fiction titles.
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichel: A funny, poignant memoir of Ruth Reichel’s early life. Stories of her Mom’s cooking made me laugh-out-loud. There are some great recipes interspersed in the chapters too.
Mr. and Mrs. Prince by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina: This book is part genealogical detective story and part history of a remarkable 18th century African American couple from New England, Abijah and Lucy Prince. It is one of my favorites because it aptly portrays the trials and tribulations that are encountered when you are doing historical and genealogical research : the tedium of the search and then the thrill of finding the tidbit of information that you were searching for. I had to keep reading to see what other information the author and her husband could uncover about this amazing couple.
The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard: This book is one of my all-time favorites. It’s the story of the shooting of President James Garfield and the shockingly outdated treatment he received from a team of physicians who tried for months to find and remove the bullet. The phrase “ignorance is bliss” is said to have come about because of Dr. Willard Bliss, one of the physicians. This book does what I think a great book should do, it peaked my interest to read about related subjects. Because of this book I’ve read books on Dr. James Lister, the British surgeon who pioneered the use of antiseptics, and President Chester Arthur, who succeeded Garfield.
Leadership in Turbulent Times and The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism, both by Doris Kearns Goodwin: I would read and have read almost everything written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She is a fantastic writer and her books are like the best fiction – they pull you in to the story and you don’t want to put the book down. Both books focus on past presidents. Leadership in Turbulent Times is a fascinating look at four presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson and the crises that each of them faced. I really liked it because I learned so much about each of the men, especially LBJ who I really didn’t know that much about. Don’t be alarmed by the size of The Bully Pulpit. Like most Doris Kearns Goodwin’s books, is not a quick read but it is a fascinating one. It essentially combines the stories of the friendship of Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, their presidencies and the evolution of the press during the early 20th century. I have a totally different view of William Howard Taft after reading this book.
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War and Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide, both by Tony Horwitz: I love the writings of the late, great Tony Horwitz. His books combine travel log, history, and social commentary, and are endlessly fascinating. These are two of my favorites. Confederates in the Attic was the first of Tony’s books that I read, and I loved the way he combined Civil War reenactors, Civil War battles, and a look at present day (2010) civil rights in the South. His last book, Spying on the South, retraced the steps of Fredrick Law Olmsted’s early career as an undercover correspondent in the 1850’s South for the fledgling New York Times. I was listening to Tony Horwitz’s audio recording of this book when he died unexpectedly last May and I felt like a lost a friend.
Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery – Book 1 by Spencer Quinn: As a fan of mysteries and a dog lover, this series is one of my favorites. The narrator of the stories is Chet, a large, mixed-breed dog that, having flunked out of police school, helps his owner Bernie, a private investigator, solve mysteries. Now, I have to admit that I’ve never read a Chet and Bernie Mystery – I’ve listened to them all on audiobook and the narrator, Jim Frangione is fantastic. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and good stories too.
Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon – Book 1 of the Miss Fortune Mystery Series: If you are looking for a serious, intense mystery, this is not for you but, if you are looking for something light and funny with a good story, dive in. The characters are off-the-wall, as our some of their situations, but the books are fast-paced, mindless fiction which is certainly what I’m looking for right now.