See what Thayer Memorial Library staff have been reading lately and what they reccommend!
Joe - Library Director
- Hyperion / Dan Simmons (available through CWMARS)
Structured like The Canterbury Tales, the novel is told through the pilgrims’ individual stories, which gradually reveal the political, religious, and technological conflicts shaping humanity’s future. Blending space opera, mystery, philosophy, and literary references, Hyperion explores themes of faith, love, artificial intelligence, war, and the nature of time. - Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War / Nathaniel Philbrick (available at TML)
A nonfiction history book that recounts the voyage of the Mayflower, the founding of Plymouth Colony, and the complex relationship between the English settlers and the Wampanoag people. - Roadside, Picnic / Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (available through CWMARS)
A classic Soviet science fiction novel about the aftermath of a mysterious extraterrestrial visitation. The aliens briefly stopped at several locations on Earth, leaving behind dangerous “Zones” filled with strange artifacts and incomprehensible phenomena before departing without explanation.
- Hyperion / Dan Simmons (available through CWMARS)
Rachel - Assistant Director & Adult Services Librarian
I asked my children what their favorite books were growing up, and this is what they told me.
- No, David! / David Shannon (available at TML)
- Green Eggs and Ham / Dr. Seuss (available at TML)
- Frog and Toad Are Friends / Arnold Lobel (available at TML)
- Where the Wild Things Are / Maurice Sendak (available at TML)
- Curious George / H. A. Rey (available at TML)
- In the Night Kitchen / Maurice Sendak (available at TML)
Emily - Youth Services Librarian
- Sharp Objects / Gillian Flynn (available at TML)
Psychological thriller. Deeply flawed characters and a haunting ending. - Mary Tyler Moorehawk / Dave Baker (available at TML)
Dystopian scifi, graphic novel, non-linear, mixed media. I literally cannot describe it. Gives House of Leaves (M. Danielewski) or S (J.J. Abrams) energy but in pink! - The Husbands / Holly Gramazio (available at TML)
Magical realism, romance. A bonkers and light-hearted story that might have you checking your own attic for something better. - Poets Square: A memoir in thirty cats / Courtney Gustafson (available through CWMARS)Memoir. A reflection of grief and community (and cats!).
- A Short Stay in Hell / Steven Peck (available through CWMARS)Novella, scifi. What really is hell? Is it a place, a collection of people, or infinite time with yourself?
- Sharp Objects / Gillian Flynn (available at TML)
Megan - Office Manager & Senior Technician
- Blindsighted / Karin Slaughter (available through CWMARS)
This is the first book in Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series, and I have faithfully read every book she has written since. Her storytelling is a perfect blend of thriller and crime, making each novel compelling and difficult to put down. - What Lies in the Woods / Kate Alice Marshall (available at TML)
A psychological thriller about three best friends, with an intriguing touch of fantasy. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. - Never Lie / Freida McFadden (available at TML)
A twisty thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Once you read one Freida McFadden book, you’ll be hooked. Consider yourself a Freida Reada! - A Flicker in the Dark / Stacy Willingham (available at TML)
Dark, twisty, and seriously addictive! A psychological thriller about a psychologist whose father is a serial killer. Full of suspense and surprises!
- Blindsighted / Karin Slaughter (available through CWMARS)
Victoria - Special Collections Librarian
- Red Cavalry / Isaac Babel (available at TML)
A collection of short stories published in 1926 about the Soviet 1st Cavalry Army. The stories are based on the author’s journal which he kept while serving as a war correspondent attached to the army, and the stories offer a glimpse into the brutality of war and the tension between the intellectual and the soldier. - Flip / Ngozi Ukazu (available at TML)
A fun tale about self-acceptance, friendship, and understanding. Two high school teens – one a nerdy black girl and the other a popular white jock – switch bodies, and have to learn to accept one another and themselves if they want to switch back. - Steel Ball Run / Hirohiko Araki (available through CWMARS)
Technically Part 7 of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Steel Ball Run is a spin-off that takes place in 1890 and centers around the titular Steel Ball Run, a horse race spanning the entirety of the continental United States for a $50 million grand prize. The anime adaptation is currently being released on Netflix, so if you want to get into Jojo’s this is a great place to start! - Say Nothing / Patrick Radden Keefe (available through CWMARS)
Such an amazing book. Keefe introduces the reader to the Troubles in Northern Ireland through the murder of Jean McConville, a single-mother of ten who was abducted from her Belfast home in December of 1972 in front of her children, never to be seen again. The narrative he creates hooks you in, and I could not put it down.
- Red Cavalry / Isaac Babel (available at TML)
Lisa - Library Associate
- Becoming Madame Secretary / Stephanie Dray (at TML)
Historical fiction work about Frances Perkins, FDR’s long-serving Secretary of Labor and the first woman Cabinet member! - Margo’s Got Money Troubles / Rufi Thorpe (at TML)
A great book that the Emmy-nominated Apple TV series is based on! - Raising Hare: A Memoir / Chloe Dalton (at TML)
A touching, unusual memoir about a woman who unexpectedly finds herself raising a wild British hare.
- Becoming Madame Secretary / Stephanie Dray (at TML)
Rebecca - Library Associate
- Starling House / Alix E. Harrow (available at TML)
A dash of mystery, fantasy, and the supernatural all wrapped up with the most poetic scene descriptions. - Assistant to the Villain / Hannah Nicole Maehrer (available at TML)
Hilarious view into the villainous side of fantasy, and oh, is that a sarcastic frog prince sidekick? - Gideon the Ninth / Tasmyn Muir ( available at TML)
Necromancy? Swordsmanship? Gothic adventure? A snarky swordswoman must help the Reverend Daughter witch succeed if their house is to survive, only if she doesn’t kill her first.
- Starling House / Alix E. Harrow (available at TML)
Bonnie - Library Associate
- Prodigal Summer / Barbara Kingsolver (available at TML)
Writing that is vividly descriptive and links personal human struggles with environmental and social issues. - Fourth Wing / Rebecca Tarris (available at TML)
Fast-paced epic fantasy with complete unpredictability and a little spice. - Book Lovers / Emily Henry( available at TML)
Romance with unbeatable banter and humor.
- Prodigal Summer / Barbara Kingsolver (available at TML)