The Librarians's Bedside Table

OSCAR GRADY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE LIBRARIANS’

BEDSIDE TABLE

What your friendly librarians have been listening, reading, watching & MUCH MORE!

Oscar Grady Public Library Mission Statement:

The mission of the Oscar Grady Public Library is to provide high interest, high demand materials and make them readily available from the Library’s collection or through interlibrary loan. The Library supports lifelong learning, information and recreational needs for people of all ages and abilities. Special emphasis is placed on stimulating children’s interests and appreciation for reading and learning. The integration of new technology with traditional library resources is used to expand service beyond the Library’s physical walls.

On this new issue of our “Librarians’ Bedside Table”, we compiled a list of really good titles recommended by your library friends. Each title can be accessed in electronic format for your convenience. Click or tap in the hyperlinks attached to each title that will take you right to them

in the Monarch Catalog. We hope you enjoy this selection of books from your

librarians at the Oscar Grady Public Library!

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Jen Gerber, our Library Director, would like to recommend the following titles:

The

BUTTERFLY HOUSE

by Katrine Engberg "A compelling new crime thriller featuring Copenhagen-based police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner, who work to solve a series of sordid murders that have roots in the care of vulnerable hospital patients and at-risk children -- and to expose a murderer who specializes in cold, cold blood..."-Provided by publisher.

Hope, our Collection Developer would like to recommend these titles:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne The classic tale of thrilling science fiction adventure. Verne’s incredible underwater adventure is one of the earliest and most influential science fiction novels, being published first in French in 1869, with translations for the North American and British markets swiftly following. It was an immediate success, with its fantastical armoury, innovative scientific inventions and strong, twisting narrative. The story is driven by Captain Nemo and his whale-shaped undersea ship, the Nautilus, which begins as an instrument of terror but becomes, ultimately, a saviour of humanity.

This is a must-have read for all lovers of science fiction and fantasy.

Provided by publisher.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda “My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six,” begins Alda’s irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but mentally ill mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.

Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of showbusiness ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow.

It is the story of turning points in Alda’s life, events that would make him what he is–if only he could survive them.

1 In-

From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist’s shop with a hideous expression on his face, and he learns that death can’t be undone, to the decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and true happiness is found in embracing them.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with curiosity about nature, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director, but surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.

Provided by publisher.

Oscar Grady Public Library

Outdoor Book Discussion

All are welcome! Registration is encouraged!

Discussion will be outside, weather permitting.

Wednesday, August Wednesday, September 25, 2021 22, @ 2021 11:00 @ 11:00 a.m. a.m.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By V.E. Schwab Limited copies of this book will be available at the circulation desk.

www.oscargradylibrary.org Oscar Grady Public Library 151 S. Main Street Saukville, WI 53080 (262) 284-6022

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever―and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden

Check out these titles, suggested for anyone looking for similar narratives to

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwabb

Before

The 7 Husbands

the Coffee Gets Cold by

of Evelyn Hugo by

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Taylor Jenkins Reids

In a small back alley in Tokyo at a centuryold coffee shop rumored to offer patrons the chance to travel back in time, four customers reevaluate their formative life choices. Provided by publisher.

"A novel about one classic film actress's relentless rise to the top--the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine"Provided by publisher.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

by Claire North SOME STORIES CANNOT BE TOLD IN JUST ONE LIFETIME. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now.

As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside.

"I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message."

This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

Provided by publisher.

HOW TO STOP TIME by Matt Haig How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages—and for the ages—about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness. Provided by publisher.

LIFE AFTER LIFE by Kate Atkinson What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can - will she? Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original: this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best. Provided by publisher.

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett A dazzling novel about the ways the smallest decisions give shape to our lives, The Versions of Us charts a relationship through three possible futures.

Cambridge, 1958. Late for class, Eva Edelstein swerves to miss a dog and crashes her bike. Jim Taylor hurries to help her. In that brief moment, three outcomes are born for Eva and Jim. As the strands of their lives weave together and apart across the decades from college through wildly different successes and disappointments, seductions and betrayals, births and funerals, joys and sorrows, the only constant is the power of their connection. TheVersions of Us is a tour de force of storytelling. Provided by publisher.

Hope would like to recommend this title:

The Cat Saw Murder by Dolores Hitchens Lily, the niece of Miss Rachel and Miss Jennifer, lives in a rundown apartment house at Breakers Beach. Lily is the daughter of their deceased brother of Rachel and Jennifer. She calls her aunt, Miss Rachel, asking her to come down as she needs help. Miss Rachel senses Lily is in trouble so she decides to go. Rachel has watched many mysterymurder movies and thinks of herself as a detective.

Rachel and Jennifer are caring for their sister Anne’s cat. Anne Sticklemann had died years earlier and left all her money to her cat, Samantha.

Because Samantha, the cat, would not eat when Rachel was absent, Rachel decides to take the cat with her.

When Miss Rachel arrives in Breakers Beach, she realizes how shabby the apartment building in which her niece lives. Shortly after her arrival, Lily is attacked and beaten in the hallway of the apartment building. It is then that Rachel discovers that Lily owed $1000 which has now become $2000. Lily said she has a plan to pay this off, but Rachel is very concerned. Next an attempt was made on Samantha’s life. Anne Sticklemann has put in her will that if the cat dies naturally, the remaining money is split among Rachel, Jennifer, and Lily. However, if the cat is killed then the money goes to a charity.

When Rachel is drugged and Lily is brutally murdered in her bed, Detective Mayhew becomes involved. The doctor is able to revive Rachel. Once Rachel is feeling better, she decides to become a detective to help Detective Mayhew find who killed Lily. There are several questionable characters who live in the apartment building. Lily had also been involved with a form tenant, Mr. Malloy, who left a few weeks earlier and has not returned.

The story is filled with suspense and interesting ways of solving the mystery. Since the book goes into much description, I was able to skim through parts of it. I must say I needed to know who the murderer was and was very surprised.

Miss Julie would like to recommend this title: “Though I never made any of the cold treats from this cookbook, I have made several of the cookie recipes and they have become favorites of mine (and most requested to bring to gettogethers)! You know you want to make Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lemon Pine Nut Rosemary, or Pretzel Chocolate Chunk cookies... “

COOLHAUS

custom-built sandwiches, named after famous architects, are sold in supermarkets across the country, as well as from trucks in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, and Dallas. Now the owners part with the recipes for their coolest creations, like the BuckMINTster Fuller (Dirty Mint Chip Ice Cream with Chocolate Chip Cookies) and the Frank Behry (Strawberry Gelato with Snickerdoodles). Daring flavors range from classic (Cookies and Sweet Cream), to boozy (Bourbon Manhattan), to vegan (Lychee Martini), and even savory (Fried Chicken and Waffle). Sandwiched among the treats are tips on ice cream making, profiles of major and up-and-coming architects, and amusing tales of the owners' forays into the ice cream business.

Making a business out of ice cream sandwiches brought fun and adventure into the authors' lives. Their exotic flavors and architecturally inspired ice cream sandwiches are allnatural, organic and whimsical. Sweet, fun, delicious-- and now available in your own kitchen!

Lynn, our Cataloging and Circulation Services Specialist, would like to recommend this title:

12 Mighty Orphans, DVD & Blu-ray ( 2021) The true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes, or even a football, to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season, these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell, a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty's secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn't beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

Provided by publisher.

THE TOP 10 MOST CHALLENGED BOOKS OF 2021 The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary reports sent to OIF from communities across the U.S. The Top 10 lists are only a snapshot of book challenges. Surveys indicate that 82-97% of book challenges – documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries – remain unreported and receive no media.

George by Alex Gino Reasons for challenging: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community” .

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students.

ALL AMERICAN BOYS by Jason Reynolds & Brenda Kiely Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now” .

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE

Reasons: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience.

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas

Reasons: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message.

THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse.

SOMETHING HAPPENED IN OUR TOWN A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice

by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin.

Reasons:

Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by

Ibram

X.

Kendi

&

Jason

Reynolds

Reasons: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity .

Maggie B. , our YA Program Coordinator, would like to recommend the following titles:

SPIDER-MAN: Into the Spider-Verse Various formats Miles Morales becomes the masked superhero of his reality and crosses paths with his counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat to all reality.

Provided by publisher.

The Amazing Spiderman, DVD (2012) Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

Provided by publisher.

Some of the titles listed in these pages are

available in electronic format through the Libby app. Check

it out!

Martin, our Collection Developing and Adult Services Coordinator would like to recommend these titles:

N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Artic Ship Italia

by Mark Piesing The riveting true story of the largest polar rescue mission in history: the desperate race to find the survivors of the glamorous Arctic airship Italia, which crashed near the North Pole in 1928"-- Provided by publisher.

Braiding together the gripping accounts of the survivors and their heroic rescuers, N-4 Down tells the unforgettable true story of what happened when the glamor and restless daring of the zeppelin age collided with the harsh reality of Earth’s extremes."-goodreads.com.

Rita would like to recommend these titles:

The Anatomy of Desire (2021)

is the debut crime novel by L.R. Dorn (the pen name for the writing team of Matt Dorff and Suzanne Dunn).

Two lovers, one a social influencer named Cleo Ray, and the other a makeup artist named Beck Alden, go for a canoe trip on a mountain lake in California. The canoe is later found overturned and Beck is found dead in the water, but where is Cleo Ray? The format reads like the transcript of an investigative series like Dateline and is a modern retelling of the 1925 novel, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. An American Tragedy was based on the real-life drowning of a young woman at the hands of her lover in 1906.

The desire referenced in the title refers not only to physical desire, but also the desire for fame, success, and control over one’s life. When does desire become pathological?

The Anatomy of Desire is available through Monarch, in large and regular print books, as well as on CD.

The novel,

Sold on a Monday (2018) by Kristina

McMorris, is set in the 1930s and begins when struggling reporter and photographer, Ellis Reed, stages a photo of two children holding a sign that says, “2 Children for Sale.” When the photo is published, unintended consequences occur to the family in question. When Reed and a former colleague, Lily Palmer, try to set things right for that family, they face challenges and danger.

Readers of Lisa Wingate’s books might also enjoy this book.

Sold on a Monday is available through Monarch, in large and regular print books, as well through Libby in print and audio formats.

www.oscargradylibrary.org