The year is almost over, and the staff here at the library want to share their favorite book of 2017 with you! These books might not have been published this year, but they all were enjoyed during it. Without further ado, here’s the first batch of the best books read in 2017 by your DBRL staff:
“A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman
”Ove is a grumpy neighbor who still has a warm heart. ‘A Man called Ove’ will make you laugh and cry. It reminds us how caught up we can get in our daily routines, and how unwilling we are to change; but sometimes, someone comes along and change is okay.”
~Sheryl Bucklew
“At first I thought it was going to be depressing, but it quickly took a comedic and touching turn as Ove learns to keep on living without his wife.”
~Mitzi
“Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid
“‘Exit West’ is a sad (some might say fairy) tale about a world where magic doors start appearing, and people use those doors to escape places where terrible things are happening. Of course, people in places where terrible things aren’t happening hate this development. If they read this book, maybe they wouldn’t hate that development so much. ”
~Chris
“Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann
“There are huge chunks of American history that we just never learn. This was not just one crime, but multiple crimes of an almost incomprehensible magnitude driven by greed and racism. Grann unravels the mystery and shows that it involved almost the entire white population and affected the entire Osage population.”
~Reading Addict
“The End We Start From” by Megan Hunter
“Haunting, elusive and totally beguiling. The writing is stark, almost staccato, straight to the point but wonderfully descriptive. A story of hope, of survival, and most importantly of all, of love.”
~Carolyn Paul Branch
“The Cove” by Ron Rash
“In his work of historical fiction, set during World War I, Ron Rash employs masterful uses of both plot and language to tell a story of outcasts, human connection, mob mentality and the overcoming of mob mentality. A brother and sister who live on an isolated farm and on the social fringe of their community give shelter to a mysterious and mute stranger. This will lead to tests of their own relationship and to the few connections they have with the surrounding community.”
~Ida
“Married With Zombies” Jesse Petersen
“This was a hilarious look at the zombie apocalypse from the point of view of a couple at a rocky part in their marriage. Who says a massive disaster can’t bring you closer together?”
~Corey
“Lives of the Monster Dogs” by Kirsten Bakis
“A unique story about dogs medically manipulated to become super intelligent and their bittersweet lives in NYC. ”
~Althea
“Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone” by Brené Brown
“Brown lays out four principles to help us claim our individuality while recognizing our inextricable interconnectedness with one another: (1) People are are hard to hate close up. Move in. (2) Speak truth to bullshit. Be civil. (3) Hold hands. With strangers. (4) Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart.”
~Brandy Sanchez
“A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life” by Parker Palmer
“Reading this book was a long, cool drink of water for my thirsty soul. Palmer provides insight into the soul’s behavior (calling it a wild animal) and guidance in harmonizing one’s worldly roles with one’s soul purposes. When this is done, living with authenticity and integrity is made possible.”
~Larkspur
“Dear Martin” by Nic Stone
“I like the way this book portrayed the awakening of the different characters to the continuing reality of racism in our country. A very authentic accounting of some of the current race issues.
~Letitia DenHartog
“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn
“American heiress Charlie St. Clair journeys to post-WWII France in search of a cousin who went missing during the war. She is aided by a crusty former spy whose past has come back to haunt her. This gripping historical thriller was inspired by the true story of the Alice Network, a spy ring that ran during WWI.”
~Anne
“The Big Sea” by Langston Hughes
“This is a page-turner! The book briefly touches on Hughes’ Midwestern upbringing and then he’s off on incredible adventures, first living with his father in Mexico and then working odd jobs in multiple countries while finding his voice as a writer. In the later pages, he moves to Harlem and discusses the social scene and his professional development.”
~Amanda Burke
“Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places” by Colin Dickey
“If you’re looking for ghost stories, this isn’t exactly that. It’s more of an examination of how history, architecture, psychology and culture often lead to ghost stories and haunted places.”
~Dana B.
