Book Reviews

Whether you visit the library weekly, with toddlers in tow for story time, or you haven’t set foot in a library in who knows how long, Susan Orlean’s The Library Book will captivate and enthrall you. Set against the backdrop of the devastating Los Angeles Central Library fire in 1986, Orlean’s non-fiction narrative explores all kinds of things from the essential role of libraries in today’s world to the cultural history of Los Angeles.  Summit County Library’s Youth Services Librarian, Kirsten Nilsson has this month’s book review.

You could say that Us Against You is a sports story about a hockey town and its team and you wouldn't be wrong, but it is about so much more.

Since his debut novel A Man Called Ove, written and published in 2014, Fredrik Backman cranked out one a year the last two being Beartown in 2017 and Us Against You in 2018.

What do all those federal agencies do, and why do we need them? Michael Lewis’ recent book, “The Fifth Risk” explains. 

Earlier this year, parts of the federal government were shut down and their employees furloughed. It may have been hard for the average person to detect the range of services lost or damage done. Michael Lewis’ recent book, “The Fifth Risk” presents a timely discussion about the valuable, often unseen work that federal employees perform.

Every now and then a book comes along that is both universally pertinent and utterly timely, this month, Cathy Lanigan reviews The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu which manages to be both timeless and urgent at once.

Determined to leave a home, more dysfunctional than she even realizes, and get a formal eduction is the mission on which Tara Westover embarks. Here's this month's book review of EDUCATED by Tara Westover.

On the October New York Times Bestseller list, two memoirs made the top 10;  IN PIECES by Sally Field, age 72 and EDUCATED; A MEMOIR by Tara Westover, age 31.

One might doubt a person could accumulate enough interesting life experiences in 30 years to compile a memoir. In this case, one would be wrong.

An iconic train station and the 1920s New York art world form the backdrop to the intriguing historical novel, “The Masterpiece”. 

This month, Cathy Lanigan reviews There There by Tommy Orange, a book the Wasington Post reviewed as ‘masterful… white hot… devastating’ and the New York Times reviewer called ‘a new kind of American epic.’ There There is a novel following 12 Native Americans in modern day Oakland California.

If you enjoyed the story told by the book and film Hidden Figures, put this book on your reading list. The Woman Who Smashed Codes tells the very true story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who along with her husband William..... were the greatest code-breaking team ever.

I love historical fiction but in this case The Woman Who Smashed Codes  is historical but very, very factual.

This month, Cathy Lanigan reviews Circe, by Madeline Miller.

No, not that Sersei.  You will have to wait many more months to hear the last chapter of the witch of Westeros, but right now you can follow the story of another powerful, irresistible, terrifying woman ruling over her own land and defying all who attack her. 

Is the hunger for far-out religions, fake news and fantasy embedded in our national DNA? Author Kurt Anderson lays out a case for that possibility in his book FANTASYLAND: HOW AMERICA WENT HAYWIRE...A 500 Year History. Here’s Barb Bretz with this month’s book review.

Novelist Celeste NG  is a New York Times Best-selling author two times over with her second novel LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE.  Barb Bretz has this month's Book Review.

I've decided to give you a “Two For One” this month and recommend both of Celeste NG's first two novels. I only discovered NG last year..... although her first novel... EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU.... was the Amazon book of the year in 2014. As soon as I read it I looked for anything else by the author.

National Book Award-winner Richard Powers takes readers deep into the lives of the world's oldest and grandest life form. Bobbie Pyron has this month's KPCW Book Reivew of Power's new novel, "The Overstory."

Three people from widely different circumstances find themselves in an improbable predicament in Isabel Allende's latest novel, In the Midst of Winter. Amy Mills has this month's book review: