Category: Uncategorized

We work in a library, and as you’d expect, most of us are active readers. While few of us can keep up with Ashley (who read over 130 books last year!), many of us definitely spend a lot of our spare time reading, and we want to share some of the books we enjoyed reading most in 2017.

These are not necessarily books that were released in 2017, in fact some of them are  a few years old. One thing they have in common though, is that someone who works here in the library read them last year and loved them. And now we want to share them with you! Below is the name of each staff member who shared a title and the title and author of the book they recommend. Click on the title of the book and it will take you right to the catalog entry for the book, where you can place it on hold to read it yourself!

Justin: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Rachel: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Kathryn: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Maycie: The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater
Linda: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelley
Chelsea: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Alyssa: Emma by Kaoru Mori (YA manga)
Kristy N: Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Ashley: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Megan: My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
Carri: Took by Mary Downing Hahn
Tami: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Cori: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

And if you are looking for more reading suggestions, remember to visit our website at www.derbylibrary.com and click on “New & Recommended” under the Books & Media tab.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season…and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter.

I first heard about this series while listening to the podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour. The reviewer said this was one book she really thought was best enjoyed on audio. So I put it on hold through RB Digital, and because of  it’s popularity I had to wait for it for several weeks. Let me tell you it was worth the wait! Because the story takes place in Quebec there are so many beautiful accents and french words I would have butchered them without having it read to me! This series spoke to me in so many ways. The characters are amazing and the descriptions of the meals they enjoyed were drool worthy. I will admit that the first book wasn’t an earth shattering read, but if you enjoy it please move on to the next book in the series. I think each one is better than the one before.

Now on to the FOOD! It’s really hard to narrow it down to just a few recipes, but I think keeping with the french bistro vibe is the way to go. Steak Frites is one of my favorite bistro dishes and it’s really very simple and delish. Serve with a nice red wine and finish with this easy French Apple Tart.

You may or may not know this but if you live in or around the Wichita KS area you are lucky enough to have a french bistro close by. You could take  your audio book to Georges French Bistro and enjoy a lovely meal with no dishes to clean afterward. I’m planning to go once the weather warms up and sit outside on their Paris inspired patio.

Let me know what french dishes are your favorite!

Two Girls Down by Lousie Luna

First Line – Jamie Brandt was not a bad mother.

Summary – When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied.

Highlight – This is the kind of book that has you sitting on the edge of your seat, unable to put it down until you finish the last page.  Great original characters and so many twists and turns! I hope this spins off into a series.

Lowlight – I can’t really think of any.

FYI – Some graphic scenes involving children.

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

I received this ARC from Netgalley.

First Line – My dear friend, Roz Horowitz met her husband online dating, and Roz is three years older, and fifty pounds heaver than I am, and people have said not as well preserved, so I thought I would try it even though I avoid going online too much.

Summary – Aviva Grossman, an ambitious congressional intern in Florida, makes the mistake of having an affair with her boss–and blogging about it. When the affair comes to light, the beloved congressman doesn’t take the fall. But Aviva does, and her life is over before it hardly begins: slut-shamed, she becomes a late-night talk show punch line, anathema to politics. She sees no way out but to change her name and move to a remote town in Maine. This time, she tries to be smarter about her life and strives to raise her daughter, Ruby, to be strong and confident. But when, at the urging of others, Aviva decides to run for public office herself, that long-ago mistake trails her via the Internet and catches up–an inescapable scarlet A. In the digital age, the past is never, ever, truly past. And it’s only a matter of time until Ruby finds out who her mother was and is forced to reconcile that person with the one she knows.

Highlights – Zevin has a way of writing about peoples flaws that feels very natural. You find yourself rooting for all the characters, and it doesn’t matter if you like them or not.

Lowlights – There were times where the story felt like it was being drawn out more than it needed to be.

FYI – Sexual situations and some strong language.

The Kingdom of Wrenly Series by Jordan Quinn

If you’ve ever stepped onto the grounds of a Renaissance Faire, you know the thrill of seeing armored knights jousting on war horses, kings and queens reveling in court gossip, and sacred fairies and elves shouting at you from treetops. All of this and more can be found in the amazing young reader series, The Kingdom of Wrenly by Jordan Quinn!

I am a sucker for a good middle-grade series, especially one that captivates the imagination while still being both accessible to new readers and not watered down in plot or character development for the sake of younger audiences. The Kingdom of Wrenly series is as rich as the fantasy worlds of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, but with a tone that is both exciting and comforting.

Prince Lucas is the son of the King and Queen of the realm of Wrenly, a land of wizards and mermaids, fairies and gnomes. Along with his best friend Clara and his pet dragon, Riskin, Lucas has many adventures in Wrenly from battling a giant sea monster to stopping a witch’s curse.

The series has 12 books so far (we have 11 and the 12^th one is on its way) and while the books are best read in order, readers can jump around without missing too much. Each book is like an “episode” in the world Wrenly and follows Lucas and Clara on an adventure that shows a new part of the fantastical realm. The books are on average 100 pages in length and each page has an amazing illustration or graphic to break up the text. The books are in the same writing style and format as the Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osbourne and excellent for readers who are ready for both chapter books and a beginner level fantasy series. If your reader is looking for a series that is both accessible and entertaining, I would highly recommend the Kingdom of Wrenly series!

P.S. If you would like additional activities about the Kingdom of Wrenly, check out the publisher’s website for the series, www.kingdomofwrenly.com for coloring sheets, a word search, quizzes, and more!

Name: Bob
Species: Dimetrodon
Temporal Range: Permian Period, 295-272 million years ago
Bio: The other dinos keep reminding me that I’m not a real dinosaur. It’s true. I’m not. But they still let me hang out with them.
Favorite Book: The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures by Tom Jackson

Name: Stella
Species: Triceratops
Temporal Range: Cretaceous Period, 70-65 million years ago
Bio: The other girls keep telling me I should put a big purple bow on my neck frill, but I’d rather use it to play soccer.
Favorite Book: Charge of the Triceratops (Dinosaur Cove #2) by Rex Stone

Name: Birdie
Species: Dilophosaurus
Temporal Range: Jurassic Period, 201-189 million years ago
Bio: Do you like my pretty pink crests on my head? I’m a dainty little Dilophosaurus that likes to eat sushi and do crafts, but not at the same time.
Favorite Book: Origami Dinosaurs by Anna George.

Name: Dewey
Species: Brachiosaurus
Temporal Range: Jurassic Period, 150-145 million years ago
Bio: My name is Dewey. My neck is long. That’s all I have to say.
Favorite Book: I Want to Be a Brachiosaurus by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Name: Junior
Species: Tyrannosaurus Rex
Temporal Range: Cretaceous Period, 67-65 million years ago
Bio: Rex means King, and that’s me! My favorite thing to do it brush my huge, sharp teeth. My real name is Thesaurus Rex, Jr., but you can call me Junior.
Favorite Book: Rex Wrecks It! by Ben Clanton

Name: Crag
Species: Stegosaurus
Temporal Range: Jurassic Period, 155-144 million years ago
Bio: Don’t mess with me! I might whack you with one of my spikes. I’m named after a rock, and I’m tough like one too.
Favorite Book: Oona Find an Egg (Oodlethunks #1) by Adele Griffin

Name: Story
Species: Apatosaurus
Temporal Range: Jurassic Range, 154-145 million years ago
Bio: I used to be called a Brontosaurus, but those silly paleontologists changed my name. My favorite thing in the world to do is read and eat salads at the same time.
Favorite Book: Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne

Name: Marie
Species: Allosaurus
Temporal Range: Jurassic Period, 150-145 million years ago
Bio: A lot of people think I’m a T. Rex, but I’m an Allosaurus. They call me that because I eat ALL the other dinosaurs. Get it?!
Favorite Book: Linus the Vegetarian T. Rex by Robert Neubecker

Check out what our dinosaurs are up to on Facebook and Instagram. Just look for the #dinovember hashtag!

The Girl With Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson was a recent title read by the library’s Hauntingly Good Reads book club.

First line: I placed a paper shirt into the furnace.

Summary: Li-Lin is a young widow who is also the daughter of a renowned Daoshi exorcist, living in San Francisco’s late 19th-century Chinatown. She also has yin eyes, which lets her see the spirit world. This ability is a shame to her family, along with the death of her husband. Adventure ensues after a sorcerer cripples her father. She is joined by a tiny sidekick on her travels through the spirit world.

Highlights: This book is loaded with Chinese mythology and tradition. It also has an engaging storyline, wonderful characters both good and bad, and a heroine you can’t help but cheer for. It has humor and suspense and sadness and mystery and will make you angry and will make you want to cry.

Lowlights (or what could have been better): The only thing that could be better is if this author would hurry up and write another story that features Li-Lin. I want to go on a another adventure with her.

FYI: If you are at all interested in Chinese mythology/religion/beliefs, or just love a great story, this book is for you.