Beverly Lewis Book List

Herman Wouk Book List

All these books are available at the 

Halifax County-South Boston Public Libraries 

Library Click Bait 3-26-19

This Library Takes an Indigenous Approach to Categorizing Books 
By Sydney Worth

Sci-fi fan replaces stolen books from Southwick library
By Hsin-Yi Lo

It’s a Taxing Time to Be a Librarian
By Roz Warren

New York Times Bestsellers Thru 3-31

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership By James Comey

If you cannot put partisan politics aside, don’t waste your time reading this book. It’s just not your kind of read. Furthermore, if you are going to be reading the whole time waiting for him to stick it to “the other side,” go read some Glenn Beck or Rachel Maddow. There are no smoking guns, or killer truths about anything. It’s just not that kind of book...

I’ll repeat that. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ESSAY LEANING TO EITHER SIDE. 

Now that that is out of the way. 

This AR recommends finding this one on audio book, or at the very least find some in person interviews of Director Comey. He really does have a good reading voice. Better still, this is a great book written by someone who has tried to remain as loyal to his job as he can be, and is not at all afraid to tick off either or both sides of an issue. 

My biggest take away was how Comey brought the FBI and in part the Justice Department into the 21st Century as an organization no longer centered on ego, manipulation, and hierarchy. If you truly pay attention, you’ll find the keys to successfully working with a group of people. Listen to what everyone has to say, never marry yourself to an idea, and always try your best. 

Strip off your politics for a change and give this book a read, or listen. Anyone in leadership of any kind would do well by their organization to do so.

Weird West Book List

We have all of these at the 

Halifax County-South Boston Public Libraries

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 3-24

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: This Much I Know By Wally Lamb

Not always a fan of Oprah’s Picks, I finally got around to Wally Lamb’s “This Much I Know is True,” a story primarily about a set of identical twins, one schizophrenic, told from the POV of the other twin, Dominick. I will admit that the author seemed to cover the same ground over and over in the first third of the book, however, I love figuring out what makes people think the way they do so I stuck with it. I’m so glad I did. This book will move to the top part of my favorites list. It delves into Dominick’s grandfather’s life as well as his mother’s. Layer by layer he discovers his past, which helps to confront his present. It’s a story of discovery and forgiveness. Even if you’ve read it before, you might want to revisit it since Mark Ruffalo is the Executive Producer as well as actor portraying both Dominick and his twin in an upcoming HBO series.

Click-Bait: 3-12

Why libraries matter, according to 8 Connecticut authors
By Wally Lamb

Don't overlook your school librarian, they're the unsung heroes of literacy
By Sally Dring

Fifty years ago, a teenager wrote the best selling young adult novel of all time: ‘The Outsiders’ changed the way kids read
By Anna Godbersen

New York Times Best Sellers Thru 3-17

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: The Boys In The Cave: Deep Inside The Impossible Rescue in Thailand by Matt Gutman

This AR was not at all captivated by this story when it broke. If being completely honest, my first question was "What in the world were they doing in the cave in the first place?"

After reading this book, I am still only mildly interested. Very well written the story was still not captivating enough to hold my attention for long. I found it very one sided and lacking perspective.It would have been nice watching the story unfold from everyone involved. What did the kids do while all this was going on? How did they stay sane? Did they even stay sane?
Also, books take a while to write and even if the author was there, how was this books written so quickly? What was left out? Seems like a lot!

All in all, this AR was not all that impressed. A real deep story is there, but the opportunity was missed to tell it.

My Library Card Made Me A Less Picky Reader By Erin Mayer

I used to be a picky reader. Not in terms of genre—I’ve always read widely, counting everything from The Great Gatsby to Sharp Objects as all-time favorites. But I used to spend a lot of time deliberating about what to read next. That changed when I got my first library card this past summer, at the age of 27.

Ebooks seem like ‘Netflix for libraries,’ but they’re a drain on budgets by Bob Fernandez

The book-crammed Free Library of Philadelphia has found a way to stay relevant in the 21st century: ebooks. Last year, 28 percent of the Free Library’s total circulation of more than five million books came from ebooks and other digital content.

New York Time Best Seller Thru 3-10

https://nyti.ms/1oYsB9h

Anonymous Reviewer: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

One of my favorite people was the cafeteria manager Eva Pollard. Eva is like Jacqueline Woodson in that both overcome much to lead a successful life of giving back. This story takes you through both the South and New York City in the 1960s and demonstrates how there was vicious racism in both parts of the country. It is a great read for middle and high school students.

#hcsbpl