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Best of 2016 so far

August 4, 2016

My top five book picks

I cannot remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. I LOVE the concept of looking at everything (science, social mores, pop culture) through the lens of "all of human history" rather than the lens of the present time. Klosterman considers: Which musical artists of the twentieth century will be remembered in three hundred years? Which authors? Which of our scientific theories will seem hopelessly barbaric?  

Set in Cape Canaveral in the ‘70’s and '80's, this is the best short story collection I've read this year.  Read the excellent review on the Chapter 16 website.

Textbook has a lovely cumulative effect, just like Rosenthal’s 2005 book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. She has a highly analytical and offbeat way of looking at the world that makes you feel both full of joy and fully understood. Also: the idea of adding a texting component to a book makes me shudder, but AKR somehow makes it charming and I can't wait to see what people submit: https://www.textbookamykr.com/ 

I think this is going to be the big sprawling literary novel of 2016, for fans of The Corrections and Middlesex.

This story of fracking in rural Appalachian Pennsylvania has a bit of the Great American Novel about it. 

beth winter

Beth

Beth works in the Collection Development department.  She loves short stories, memoirs, documentary films, and cookbooks.  Her favorite things about working at the library are knowing in advance about all the new releases and the easy access to her library holds.