NHCPL Reads discussion

My first book of 2017 was We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel. I saw this book on the library's new shelf and was intrigued by the subject matter. What I thought would be an exploration into the tragic shooting at the AME church in 2015 turned into a really interesting look at the racial history of Charleston and the history of AME churches. I recommend this book to anyone interested in history for a concise look at race relations in Charleston and an explanation of current events related to the shooting.

I am now reading The Glass Cage: How Our Computers Are Changing Us. This is a fascinating look at the way automation is changing society and our lives. Although the book is a few years old and many advances have been made, the information is still relevant. The book brings up a lot of good points that may have damaging effects on the workforce and individuals in the future. I highly recommend this book to everyone because the look into how technology is impacting our memory, our jobs and our lives is very interesting and will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about technology.

I picked up an odd one: The Queen of the Night by Chee. It helps if you have a good background in opera and the Franco-Prussian war (or at least Europe of that era), because otherwise I think I would be lost!

I got a lot of my background on the Franco-Prussian war and the siege on Paris from another book, Spangle by Gary Jennings. (It's now published as three paperbacks: Road Show, Center Ring, and Grand Promenade.) In this weird case of literary symbiosis, Spangle set the stage for Queen of the Night.

I am about to finish The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood. I love this author, and this book did not disappoint.
Looking forward to beginning Faithful by Alice Hoffman.

I'm on a YA kick so far this year.

I first read Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson. It's due out on Valentine's Day and I loved it!

This weekend I read The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson who I know from my work with The Brown Bookshelf. This was a Middle School Battle of the Book a few years ago and a great read as well. Will definitely check out the sequel. I love that it was set in Columbus, Ohio and referenced some locations that I know from my years living in Columbus.

And now I am reading Dumplin' by Julie Murphy which is really good. Set in a small Texas town, I am looking forward to how this story develops.

Over the weekend I read History of Wolves. The author has an interesting writing style but the plot kept my attention until the very end. I read this book for the Winter Reading Program square "Read a book set in the state or country where you were born." This book is set in Minnesota.

I am now working my way through Thomas L. Friedman's new book Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations. I loved his book The World is Flat and am enjoying the way he is tackling technology and our current age of acceleration.