Catherine recommends "Zia Erases the World"

Zia is an eleven year old girl who used to laugh and have fun with her friends until the “Shadoom” arrived. The Shadoom is what Zia calls the anxious feelings that makes her constantly afraid. But then Zia discovers an unusual dictionary in her grandmother’s attic – when Zia uses the blue eraser lodged inside the dictionary to erase the words for things that make her feel sad and anxious, those things magically disappear. Zia thinks she has solved her problems, but instead, chaos ensues. Ultimately, Zia learns that even big and scary feelings are an important part of life. This book is perfect for upper elementary or middle school readers.

 

Emily Recommends "And Then I Found You"

And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry was a beautiful story about family, adoption, first love, and much more. Patti is one of my favorite authors and I love how different each one of her stories are. She writes some great romance stories. This one is apparently a fictional version of her sister’s life story, and it’ll pull at your heart strings. The main character is about to enter an important phase in her life, but she doesn’t feel like she can until she closes a door from the past. When she was young she had to give up her baby girl. She thinks about it every day, but recently it’s bothering her more and more. The story unfolds with people from her past and people she’s newly meeting playing a role in this beautiful, but sometimes sad story. I really liked this book. I would recommend this for adults and teens.

Andrea recommends "Remarkably Bright Creatures"

"Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt is a tender and heartfelt novel about the unexpected turns life can take and the unlikely friendships that can be formed along the way. After the disappearance of her son and the death of her husband, Tova Sullivan copes by staying busy keeping the local aquarium spic and span. It's there she forms a bond with a giant pacific octopus named Marcellus who turns out to be much smarter than anyone realized. When an injury sidelines Tova and she decides it's time to hang up her mop for good, it's up to Marcellus to get Tova to understand his clues about her son's disappearance before it's too late.

This book is for adults.

Katie recommends "Starfish"

 

I am a sucker for a novel in verse, and this book did not disappoint. Bullied by classmates and her family for being fat, 12-year-old Ellie is having a rough year. This book definitely has some heavy moments, but leaves you feeling hopeful by the time you’re finished. Perfect for upper elementary and middle school readers.

 

 

Amy recommends "The Wives"

 

I missed this one when it came out in late 2019. What starts as a typical story of a problematic marriage soon twists and turns into a tale in which the reader has no idea who is telling the truth. I didn’t see the twist coming and that always gets a thumbs up from me.

This book is intended for adults.

 

 

 

 

Emily recommends "Modern Family"

 

You’ve probably seen at least one episode of Modern Family. Prior to a couple years ago, I had viewed bits and pieces of episodes here or there while flipping through channels. I decided a year ago to watch every episode in order, start to finish. I recommend doing just that! I would watch an episode when I was bored or had nothing else to watch. This show is really fun to watch with family and friends. We have all the DVDs at CMPL. Is it worth watching? Yes! This show is really funny at times. I laughed out loud a couple times. You end up getting to know and loving all the characters throughout the seasons. This show is adorable, funny, and entertaining! It has some sappy moments, but not in every episode which is nice. This show is more comedic than anything else. Sometimes you will feel like the same scenarios keep repeating themselves, but in a different way. I still think it’s worth watching! My favorite characters were Cam and Phil. This is not a show I would go back and re-watch, but I’m glad I did watch it all the way through.

Emily recommends "I Found You"

I listened to the eAudiobook version of “I Found You” by Lisa Jewell on the OverDrive app. I just plugged my phone into my car and listened as I would drive. I don’t usually read suspenseful dramas/mysteries, but this audiobook was listened to in high numbers last year in Macomb/Clinton Township. I was curious so I decided to give it a try and branch out from what I usually read, which is romance. If you like suspenseful mysteries or scary books, I think you’ll like this one! This book is for adults only. I really liked the narrator of this audiobook too. Did I like this book overall, personally? I really prefer romances where scary things like these don’t usually happen, but I was trying to read outside of my comfort zone. So, I got what I was looking for in this situation. With that being said, I listened to the whole audiobook because the story kept me interested. The story did switch between present day and the past. The big mystery was revealed at the end and it was definitely sick and twisted. If you’re into that stuff give this book a try. This book includes topics on assault crimes and murder, so if you don’t want to read about that, just skip this book.

 

Emily recommends "Without Merit: A Novel"

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover is completely absurd, but in a good way! I could not put this book down because the storyline was so unpredictable, downright crazy, and funny. This book had romantic, embarrassing, and sad moments. The main character had to battle a couple family issues, and the way she did it was so very realistic and comical. There were some moments that were a little too cheesy for my taste. Would I read this again? Probably not. I’d give this book 3.5 stars. But I am glad I read it because it was a really cute story with a fantastic beginning and a sweet ending (one that wasn’t too fairytale-ish or unreachable). I love romance books and I have to say for Colleen Hoover, this is the least romantic book that I’ve read of hers so far. This one was more of a PG-13 read, but I would still only recommend adults read this.

Borrow this book from CMPL.

Emily recommends "The Other Side of Midnight "

 

This book would be perfect to read when the leaves start changing colors! The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James quickly became one of my favorite books when I realized I couldn't put it down. I would 100% read this book again! My eyes were running across each line as fast as they could! This book keeps you on edge until the very last page, and when you read the last word you’ll probably sit there in shock. I loved the beginning, middle, and ending of the book. I don’t enjoy scary books, but this one only had a couple of scary moments which ended up working out perfectly. If you’re like me, and you get scared easily, I bet you’ll still enjoy this book. I was not able to figure out the mystery until it was revealed, so I don’t think this book is predictable. And the big “commotion” in the end is unbelievable. I would highly recommend this book for adults because it has a little bit of everything. A psychic/fortune teller falls into a murder mystery scandal while falling in love... she's a powerful female, main character with great style! 50% mystery, 30% spook, and 20% romance. What more could you ask for?!

Borrow this book from CMPL.