2019 Spring Picks from the Librarian

A number of books are shaping up to be hot picks for the spring. Local librarian, Mary Rapas, from the Harrison Township Public Library shares some of her recommendations for fiction and non-fiction titles which may make your spring a little brighter.

Motherless Brooklyn – by Jonathan Lethem

This unpredictable whodunit comes with a dose of humor, compassion, and suspense. Lionel Essrog is an orphan with Tourette’s syndrome who is recruited with a few other orphans to work for Frank Minna, a small-time mobster. Minna becomes the world to them, so when he is murdered, Lionel attempts to find the killer. You don’t have to like jokes or appreciate word scrambles to enjoy this book, but if you do, you will love the author’s skill in weaving together words in funny, surprising combinations. This is an older title, but you can get ahead of the game by reading it before the movie adaptation is released later this year.

Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog—by Dave Barry

If winter has given you the blues, take a look at this forthcoming book by Dave Barry. The Pulitzer-prize winning humorist, made famous for his newspaper columns and books with titles like ‘I’ll Mature When I’m Dead’, has written a collection of seven simple lessons he learned about aging from his 7 year old rescue dog, Lucy. You don’t have to be a dog lover to appreciate the gentle sentiments of this book, which also has Barry’s trademark, off-the-hook humor. And if you happen to be a dog (or cat) lover, come to the Harrison Township Public Library on Saturday, March 16th at 1pm, when the Humane Society of Macomb will visit the library to tell us about their jobs rescuing animals.

Bowlaway—by Elizabeth McCracken

This is the sleeper hit of the spring. It’s a whimsical saga of a New England family, but it centers around an unlikely venue—a bowling alley. Bertha Truitt, who will become the family matriarch, is discovered unconscious in a cemetery with only a bowling ball and a few other items as her possessions. She ends up marrying the doctor who revived her, and then she establishes a bowling alley in town. When she is killed in the Great Molasses Flood (which, believe it or not, was a real event in 1919), she leaves behind mysterious relatives, hidden wills, and strange treasures, all of which are revealed in this unconventional tale of a family.

Say You’re Sorry—by Karen Rose

Start fresh with the first book of a brand new series about a sexy male FBI agent and a female radio personality who team up to find a serial killer. When she fights off an attacker, Daisy Dawson grabs a locket from his neck, which leads investigators to a cult. Gideon Reynolds, an FBI agent with a haunting past, had escaped from the same cult as a 13 year old, and together he and Daisy attempt to track down the killer before the killer finds Daisy again and adds her to his list of victims. Fans of romantic thrillers will find themselves eagerly waiting for the next installment of the series.

Before She Knew Him—by Peter Swanson

Good fences make good neighbors if you live next door to cold-blooded killers. When an artist named Hen and her husband move to the suburbs and visit their neighbors, Hen discovers something on a shelf that points the neighbors to an unsolved murder that Hen used to be obsessed with. No one believes her, and Hen begins to stalk the suspected killer with shattering consequences. This psychological thriller promises to keep you up reading long into the night.

The World According to Fanny Davis: My Life in the Detroit Numbers—by Bridgett M. Davis

The ‘numbers’ in the title of this book refers to the pre-lottery days of Detroit. Betting was a tough business dominated by outlaws, but one Detroit woman began her own secret business running numbers to support her family. This memoir, written by her daughter, is a tribute to a woman who created a loving and secure family life for her children despite the odds.

Lost Children Archive—by Valeria Luiselli

The author’s experience as a translator gives this novel a powerful perspective as she relates the story of an unnamed New York family’s road trip across America. As the parents drive, a crisis unfolds both inside and outside their car windows, culminating in an urgent climax that will make you think about justice and equality in America today. This isn’t a quick beach read, but it is getting rave reviews as a timely, original retelling of the classic American Road Trip.