What the Library Staff is Reading

I just went around and asked some of the BPLD staff to tell me what they are reading right now and why they happened to pick up that particular book.

And here are the results:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
Why: Read great reviews on this title from Amazon, etc. It's the first book in a 3 part series called the Millennium Series (other titles are The Girl Who Played With Fire and Castles in the Sky). It's a murder mystery/family saga/love story--and one of those books you can't put down. They are extremely popular in Sweden--but we'll have to wait a bit for the translations of the last 2 titles. He started writing them in 2001 and enjoyed it so much that he didn’t make contact with a publisher until he had two finished novels and had a third one under way. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for the 3 novels.

Exit Ghost by Philip Roth.
Why: So many of his titles have appeared on many of the bestseller lists over the years so this reader wanted to start to explore his body of work and just happened to pick up this title. Roth has won many book awards: the National Book Award (twice), the National Book Critic's Circle Award, the Pen Faulkner Award (3 times), and the Pulitzer Prize in 1997.

Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Why: Needed to reread this title because they are doing it in the afternoon library book discussion group here at the Library.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Why: Picked this title to read and review for a possible new Teen Book Discussion Group that the Library might be starting.

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
Why: Heard the author speak and thought that the concept of a person not really being there was interesting. It would be good for a junior high boy.

You Didn't Hear It From Us: Two Bartenders Serve Women the Truth About Men, Making an Impression, and Getting What You Want by Dushan Zaric and Jason Kosmas.
Why: Recommended as very interesting by another staff person -- it gives honest tips for dating by two bartenders that have seen it all.

Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Why: Because it is the sequel to Night Watch (they made a terrible movie from this book -- but the book is quite good). Will continue reading the other books in this series: Twilight Watch and The Last Watch. They are about vampires, witches and magic.

All Quiet on The Western Front by by Erich Maria Remarque
Why: It is a school assignment -- but really likes the book.

Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman
Why: Got it as a Christmas present -- and he is one of this readers favorite authors.