The year is almost over, and the staff here at the library want to share their favorite book of 2017 with you! I hope you enjoyed the first installment. Here are the rest of the best books read in 2017 by your DBRL staff:
“Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch
“Fast-paced and suspenseful, this novel is page-turner from the get-go. While categorized in the sci-fi genre, it invokes universal questions regarding the choices you make, the paths-not-traveled and what you would endure for those you love.”
~Dana S.
“Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult
“I laughed, cried, and was forced to bear with some very ugly personal truths. ‘Small Great Things’ reads as a fantastic work of fiction, but also as a primer for fundamental conversations about race, privilege, inequality and basic human experiences. This book will grab you by the shoulders and shake you to the core.”
~Mitch C.
“Lincoln in the Bardo” George Saunders
“The format of this novel might throw you off at first, but it becomes more and more affecting as it progresses until it breaks your heart. It’s also frequently hilarious.”
~Eric
“End of Eddy” by Edouard Louis
“Edouard Louis’ ‘The End of Eddy’ (translated by Michael Lucey), an autobiographical novel, is a bildungsroman set in the working-class French village of Hallencourt. The violence of being poor, of inflicting impoverishment on others, of being gay in a poor town, of alcoholism and racism and sexism and homophobia, of heteronormativity — Louis provides a incisive critique of what French philosopher Pierre Bourdiou called the ‘conservation of violence.’ That is, in short, Louis painfully details how violence perpetuates violence.”
~Jeremiah
“Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk” by Kathleen Rooney
“Lillian, a spunky 84-year-old woman who, at one time was the highest paid woman in advertising, takes a walk through Manhattan on New Years Eve, 1984, traveling more than 10 miles shows grace, determination and charity as she makes new friends, meets old friends and reflects on her adventurous life.”
~Kay
“Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“As the mother of a 15-year-old daughter who is rapidly growing into a strong and independent young woman, this book just touched my heart. I want her to matter equally, especially in a world that seems intent on taking much of her rights away.”
~Reading Addict
“The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern
“Starts off with a young lad looking for something new. Amazingly whimsical. Would love to be able to utilize magic and make people happy.”
~Sheryl Bucklew
“Origin” by Dan Brown
“A very interesting and fast moving story around “where did we come from” and “where are we going.” The descriptions of Bilbao and Barcelona were vivid and brought back fond memories. Robert Langdon keeps rockin’!”
~Mark
“The Story of Arthur Truluv” by Elizabeth Berg
“Three lonely, hurting people find each other and slowly become the family each of them needs so much. Elizabeth Berg is a master storyteller who uses simple sentences and ordinary people to draw the reader into her character’s world so deeply, we know Maddy, Arthur and Lucille. We not only know them, we love them, and mourn the loss of their company when the novel comes to a totally satisfying end.”
~Carolyn Paul Branch
“Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things” by Jenny Lawson
“A book that will make you laugh out loud, as well as stop and think, and show us that it is okay to not be perfect, or live up to the expectations of others. It is okay to be a human, and to be flawed.”
~Katie
“Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)” by David Sedaris
“This is a great collection of diary entries from a supremely witty mind. The author’s transition from poverty (noting the sale price of chicken parts in several entries; working all sorts of menial labor) to flying first-class around the world is one facet of the diaries that is interesting to observe as the decades unfold. And for those who have loved hearing David Sedaris on NPR over the years, be sure to check out this title in audiobook format!”
~Amanda Burke
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara
“This book is so much more than a story about friendship, despite that being its popular descriptor. While the lows of this story are terribly heart-wrenching, the highs are so wonderfully high, I was moved to tears. This was one of those books I wanted to reread the moment I finished (after my tears had cleared enough to read again).”
~Kat
“An Odyssey: A Father, A Son, and An Epic” by Daniel Mendelsohn
“As a classics lover and part-time Latin teacher, I loved this book! The author did a wonderful job of interweaving the story of Odysseus with the story of his relationship with his father. The book was poignant, unexpected and altogether refreshing.”
~Brianna
“The Last Days of Night” by Graham Moore
“This fictional account, with notes on what is fact and what is fiction, is an illuminating look at a short time in history that had major consequences for the world. I was familiar with the names Edison, Westinghouse and Tesla, but this made them real to me and made me more aware of the animosity between the men.”
~Jerilyn
