Recommended Reads with the Huntsville Public Library - June Edition
Have you decided what to read this month? Our friends from the Huntsville Public Library have some spectacular suggestions. June marks the halfway point of the year. So, the library checked its records for the most popular books of 2021 so far. These are the top three titles.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
This book had me from the immediate description- a historical fiction about 5 pioneering female librarians? Yes, please!
Set in Depression Era Kentucky, 5 women join the cause to bring books and knowledge to rural communities using pack horses. The setting alone is enough to fill my cup during this time of isolation at home. It’s beautifully descriptive and makes you feel like you too are adventuring through the Appalachian wilderness. In addition to the setting, we get to know these 5 characters and their love interests very well. Not only does this book tackle what it’s like to be a woman during this era- misogyny, racism and general inequalities. We also get a beautiful tale of friendship and the importance of the bonds that form between these women along the way. While there are difficult moments in the book, and the characters face many challenges, this is a truly uplifting story and it’s not hard to see why it’s the top circulating book of the year.
Inspector Gamache Series by Louise Penny
Four of 10 books on this year’s checkout list are from this series!
Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series will see its 17th book released later this year. Twelve of those books have spent countless weeks on the New York Times and Globe and Mail bestseller lists, and won multiple awards. It’s no surprise that four books from this series made it to the top 10 items checked out this year.
These mystery novels are set in a fictional small town in Quebec called Tall Pines. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache works for the Quebec Police Force investigating and solving murders. One of the best things about this Louise Penny series is that you don’t have to read the books in any particular order. Each book has a stand alone mystery, so you could just read one and it would still be an amazing book. If you get hooked- and trust me you will- you can always start back at the beginning. This way you get to uncover the many layers of the characters and discover some of the policing difficulties Gamache faces in his career, and within his own force. Louise Penny is one of the most popular authors in our collection year after year, and still releases fresh new mysteries to add to the series.
Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge is back on the pages again following a decade after Elizabeth Strout’s extremely popular first novel Olive Kitteridge. Fans may be more acquainted with the award winning TV miniseries of the same name starring Frances McDormand as Olive.
Olive is from a small town in Maine and can best be described as brash and to the point. Underneath her hardened outer shell, she is genuinely caring and well-meaning with a doting husband and a troubled son. In this novel, Olive struggles to understand herself, as well as the lives of others in her small town after the death of her husband. While we follow many unique characters throughout the book, Olive is the thread that ties them all together. While some stories take on a more serious tone- for example a teenage girl who is struggling to cope with the loss of her father, others are filled with hope- such as when Olive delivers a young woman’s baby in the back of a car. The book is packed full of emotions, details and so many truly transformative characters. Elizabeth Strout is a writer who captures the essence of the human spirit such as compassion, empathy and vulnerability and this book does not disappoint.