It should come as no surprise that library staff love Book Bingo as much as patrons do. Many of us also read along during the summer, seeking out great titles to fill each category. In that spirit, I asked staff for some of their favorites so far this summer. You can find a full list of those favorites in our catalog; or read on for some highlights. And of course, any of these titles could be used to fill the “Suggested by a Library Worker” square!
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Bingo category: Women’s Sports
Staff write: Set in 1989, the book follows a high school girls’ field hockey team that turns to witchcraft to win their games. Full of dark humor, the book was a wild, raucous ride and I would recommend to those who aren’t normally into sports.
Canon by Paige Lewis
Bingo category: Water; Queer/Trans Voices; Myth & Legend; Animal; and Suggested by an Independent Bookseller (Charlie’s Queer Books)
Staff write: such a fun, original ride – a modern odyssey filled with Bad Guys, a lie-detecting newt in a bottle, a chair on the top of a whale, and queer trauma and joy. The chapters range from a few sentences to a few pages, making the almost 500 page book a fairly quick read.
Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette
Bingo category: Under 150 pages; Hard-to-Love Protagonist; FIFA World Cup Country.
Staff write: A gritty crime novel set in a sleepy French town that is a truly WILD ride. Aimee Joubert may be my new favorite (anti)heroine. Definitely not for the faint of heart!
Only a Little While Here by Maria Ospina Pizano
Bingo Category: Animal; FIFA World Cup Country
Staff write: This collection of linked short stories dives deeply into five animal protagonists in Columbia: two stray dogs on the streets of Bogota; a scarlet tanager migrating south from Connecticut to Columbia; a beetle; and a rescued porcupine. Ospina shines in fully realizing the umwelt – or the way they perceive and experience the world unique to the individual and species – without tipping into anthropomorphization.
After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian
Bingo Category: Historical
Staff write: Can’t recommend it enough. Grief, found family, and a community that forms around one dusty little used bookstore in 1968 New York City. I especially loved how it showed someone finding their people and themselves during a tumultuous time in history.
The Land and Its People by David Sedaris
Bingo category: Soothing
The new David Sedaris is almost as good as my favorite of his Me Talk Pretty One Day. It’s a real return to form, and the audiobook is a collection of live performances, which is where he really shines. Hilariously insightful? Insightfully hilarious? I loved it.
Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000 by Barry Walters
Bingo Category: Queer/Trans Voices
Staff write: The length seems daunting (over 400 pages!) but the book is helpfully broken down into relatively small chapters focused on particular artists/bands. Though I was familiar with the majority of the musicians featured, I learned so much new information about their roles in LGBTQ+ history. Walters writes in an accessible and personal style and the significant page count flew by!
~ posted by Andrea G.
