I feel lucky every day for a workplace where our casual conversations in hallways, before meetings and over the water cooler (if we had one) are regularly about what we’re reading. Periodically there’s a call-out on our staff message board asking people to chime in with what they’re reading and loving — the books that they’d like other readers to know about. Here’s our most recent one: What we’re reading at SPL this month (November 2017 edition).
A small sampling of what you’ll find on the 44-book list:
Spinning by Tillie Walden (graphic novel)
An excellent coming-of-age graphic memoir that will move you even if you’ve never stepped foot on an ice skating rink. ~ Susanna
New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (science fiction)
Speculative sci-fi about New York in a future where sea level has risen 50 ft. I’m listening to the audio version and the different voice actors are pitch perfect. ~ Kathryn
The North Water by Ian McGuire (fiction)
A dark, dark, dark story about a doomed, arctic whaling vessel in the mid-19th century. It’s the age old story of all social restraints breaking down in the face of a brutal environment. If you like stories where the whale wins, go to the granddaddy of them all, Moby Dick or if you want something more contemporary, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. If you like survival stories in the cold, you can’t beat the Shackleton expedition. Try Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. ~ Nancy
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (fantasy)
So many reasons to read – local author, horrific and humorous, a main character who is asexual (and one of the best descriptions I’ve ever read of what that means woven in to the story), a transgender best friend, and beautiful turns of phrase that make me sigh, put the book down for a few moments, and reflect on life. ~ Kristina
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (nonfiction)
Page-turning nonfiction about the oil-rich Osage Indians of Oklahoma in the early 20th century who were murdered by multiple killers eager to steal their lucrative drilling rights. ~ Paige
Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright (nonfiction)
A look at meditation through the lens of evolutionary biology. With helpful examples featuring powdered sugar doughnuts. ~ Robin
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilli (nonfiction)
Inspiring short biographies of rebellious contemporary and historical women from around the world, accompanied by awesome artwork (I’ve been reading a few pages each night before bedtime. ~ Emily G.
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
In 2013, Sasha Fleishman was set on fire while riding the 57 bus through Oakland, CA. Sasha is an agender teen who was wearing a skirt and catching a nap when their skirt was suddenly lit on fire. This YA nonfiction book does a great job, so far, of humanizing and contextualizing the two teenagers involved. The book does a good job also exposing the inequities in the criminal justice system and the ways young people get swallowed by the adult system. ~ Sunny
~ posted by Linda J.
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