Tracy T. and Nathan H., both of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, presented a joint booktalk session to the Bethany BookTalks group on December 2, 2022. Each provided their own separate booklist. Tracy's included a variety of reads in several categories, and Nathan's focused on mysteries/thrillers.
You can check out their lists on the Lincoln City Libraries' BookGuide reader resources pages at these links:
A Sci-Fi Fan Dabbles in Mysteries and Thrillers
I received this book as an ARC
(Advanced Reader Copy), as a promotion for Readers’ Advisory.
I had never heard of Catriona Ward,
though I was intrigued right away when I saw that Stephen King had sung her
praises for her previous book. I figured, if my favorite author digs her
writing, I will too.
Um, digging it is an
understatement! I love the way Ward writes!
This story is brilliant, and I was truly on the edge of my seat throughout. I
never knew what was coming. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I
would be proven wrong. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Rob and her
daughter Callie, between Rob and her sister Jack, and I hated
Irving! (As I was meant to.)
Pick this one up and give it a
read! It’s a bit graphic, a bit dark…. that’s what I love!!!
(If you enjoy this, you may also
wish to try Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.)
( publisher’s official Sundial
web page ) | ( official Catriona Ward Twitter feed )
Recommended
by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
I read this book as part of an
LGBTQ+ and Allies small group that I’m a part of, at my Church. The point of
the group is to be a source of support for each other as well as to better
educate ourselves and hopefully those around us.
This book is written by a Trans Man
who wants to share his experience not just with transitioning, but with his
life as a Lutheran Pastor and the effect his transition had on that role. He
interviews several other members of the Trans community, asking them to
elaborate on their own spiritual journeys and how Transitioning has played a
part in that. There are many, MANY places in this Bible that are supportive of
Trans people, which was refreshing, to say the least!
As a member of the LGBTQ+
community, I found this to be encouraging, enlightening, and very educational.
I listened to the audio version provided by my library, but I also obtained a
print copy, which I have marked up with highlights and plan to re-read often.
It’s got a plethora of resources for the reader. I learned so much while reading this book–not just from the book, but
also from the discussions it sparked in my small group.
I would definitely recommend this
to anyone who is struggling with the correct verbiage with regards to the Trans
community; I’d also recommend it to anyone who would like to be a source of
support or who simply has questions.
( official Transforming
web site ) | ( official Austen
Hartke web site )
Recommended
by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
by Emmanuel Acho (305.8 AfrYa)
If I could give this book 11 stars, instead of ten, or even 12 or 13, I would! I absolutely LOVE the format of this book!!! I love the way Emmanuel Acho has a formula for each chapter: A brief description of the focus of that chapter; Let’s Rewind; Let’s Get Uncomfortable; Talk It, Walk It. It is so easy to follow, and the way things are explained are extremely clear and simple. I can’t express how much I appreciate Acho putting this book together (and his YouTube channel and episodes, which I didn’t know about until picking up this book). These are crucial topics to discuss and to research and spend some time thinking about, because we MUST work together to improve our current situation!
Acho mentions a TON of resources in his book. In fact, that’s a good portion of why I’ve purchased this book in print, after having listened to the library’s audiobook (streamed via Hoopla). I’m also quite tempted to buy several copies and distribute them to various people. I feel like we ALL could benefit from reading this book!
( official Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man web site ) | ( official Emmanuel Acho Twitter feed )
Recommended
by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
This is a collection of short stories Stephen King has previously written, and they may or may not have been published elsewhere. However, they were all new to me. It’s hard to say if one was better than another, though I can definitely say with clarity that there were parts of ‘All That You Love Will Be Carried Away’ that really stood out to me and struck me in ways the other stories didn’t.
To be honest, they’re all great stories, and
if you’re a fan of King’s, you’d enjoy each of these stories. Stephen King’s
epic novels fill me with joy like few other things in the world can; but I am
always happy to fill the time between big novels with a short story or two by
my favorite author!
(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Different Seasons by
Stephen King.)
( official The Man in the Black Suit page on the official Stephen King web
site )
Recommended by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
In November 2021, Tracy T., from the Anderson and Bethany Branch libraries, presented a new
booktalk, at the Bethany BooksTalks,
focusing on a variety of both Fiction and Non-Fiction titles.
Check out eight titles she recommended in late 2021, in this new booktalk booklist on BookGuide at the following link:
Edge of my seat the whole time — I did NOT see it coming! I love books like this, where it’s more thriller than outright mystery. Good stuff!
In a nutshell, a married couple finds a new, interesting way to keep the spark in their marriage alive. Nothing wrong with that, right? Except that in keeping their marriage alive, random women in the area keep dying!
( official Samantha Downing web site )
Recommended
by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
by Stephen King (King)
This was a re-read for me — I pick this up every four or five years and give it another go, to see if I love it as much as I did the last time. It never lets me down!
The Tommyknockers is truly a scary story, with creepy aliens and the affects that their slow takeover have on the inhabitants of a small town in Maine. And I love the scary parts! But what I love more is the relationship between Jim “Gard” Gardner and Roberta “Bobbi” Anderson. They’re both writers, which always appealed to me as a would-be writer (aren’t we ALL would-be writers?), and they’ve known each other for decades. They’ve been there for each other during hard times, and they’re still there for each other during this worst hard time!
( official The Tommyknockers page on the official Stephen King web site )
Recommended
by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
I haven’t read Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw, but I’m under the impression Ruth Ware’s story is similar in many ways (not just the title).
That being said, I really liked this story.
Although I cannot see myself being a live-in nanny (as the protagonist of this
book was), I have babysat enough children to understand the feelings and
challenges met by this woman. All things considered, I was typically on her
side and would have probably responded to each situation the same way she did.
I really empathized with her!
One thing I found very intriguing was the idea
of the house, where this family lived, was turned into a Smart House. I found
that very exciting and would love to have such capabilities in my own home
someday. Or, at least, I thought so at the beginning of the story…
( official The Turn of the Key page
on the official Ruth Ware web site )
Recommended by Tracy T.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Have you read or listened to
this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff
Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that
page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog
individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the
reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
If you're a mystery fan, join us for this month's Just Desserts meeting tonight, October 28th, where we'll be discussing the entire "Easy Rawlins" series by Walter Mosley. The Just Desserts group holds our in-person meetings at 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown at 14th & "N" St. on the last Thursday of each upcoming month. Tonight is our 2021 finale, as we don't meet in November or December. For more information, check out the Just Desserts schedule at https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/book-groups/#justdesserts
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