Category: Staff Picks

Simply Held October Author: Colson Whitehead

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Want the hottest new release from your favorite author? Want to stay current with a celebrity book club? Love nonfiction and fiction? You should join Simply Held. Choose any author, celebrity pick, nonfiction and/or fiction pick and the Davenport Public Library will put the latest title on hold for you automatically. Select as many as you want! If you still have questions, please check out our list of FAQs.

New month means new highlighted authors from Simply Held. October’s fiction author is Colson Whitehead.

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Photo: Chris Close
Photo: Chris Close

Our October fiction author is Colson Whitehead. His first job after graduating from Harvard College was writing reviews at the Village Voice. His first novel, The Intuitionist, about chaos in the Department of Elevator Inspectors, was published in 1998. Since then, he has written eleven books, as well as multiple reviews, essays, and fiction that have appeared in many publications, such as the New York Times and others. He has taught at a number of universities and won numerous awards and fellowships, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Carnegie Medal for Fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, plus many more. Colson currently lived in New York City.

Whitehead writes literary fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and horror.

Whitehead’s newest book is Crook Manifesto, the second book in the Harlem Trilogy. This book was published in July 2023.

Curious what this book is about? Check out the following description provided by the publisher.

It’s 1971. Trash piles up on the streets, crime is at an all-time high, the city is careening towards bankruptcy, and a shooting war has broken out between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army. Amidst this collective nervous breakdown furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. His days moving stolen goods around the city are over. It’s strictly the straight-and-narrow for him — until he needs Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter May and he decides to hit up his old police contact Munson, fixer extraordinaire. But Munson has his own favors to ask of Carney and staying out of the game gets a lot more complicated – and deadly.

1973. The counter-culture has created a new generation, the old ways are being overthrown, but there is one constant, Pepper, Carney’s endearingly violent partner in crime. It’s getting harder to put together a reliable crew for hijackings, heists, and assorted felonies, so Pepper takes on a side gig doing security on a Blaxploitation shoot in Harlem. He finds himself in a freaky world of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, and celebrity drug dealers, in addition to the usual cast of hustlers, mobsters, and hit men. These adversaries underestimate the seasoned crook – to their regret.

1976. Harlem is burning, block by block, while the whole country is gearing up for Bicentennial celebrations. Carney is trying to come up with a July 4th ad he can live with. (“Two Hundred Years of Getting Away with It!”), while his wife Elizabeth is campaigning for her childhood friend, the former assistant D.A and rising politician Alexander Oakes. When a fire severely injures one of Carney’s tenants, he enlists Pepper to look into who may be behind it. Our crooked duo have to battle their way through a crumbling metropolis run by the shady, the violent, and the utterly corrupted.

CROOK MANIFESTO is a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family. Colson Whitehead’s kaleidoscopic portrait of Harlem is sure to stand as one of the all-time great evocations of a place and a time.  – Penguin Random House

This title is also available in large print, CD audiobook, Playaway audiobook and as a Libby eAudiobook and Libby eBook.

Online Reading Challenge – October

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge travels to Iceland. Our Main title for October is Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher.

Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tv=ti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes’s death looms, the farmer’s wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they’ve heard.

Riveting and rich with lyricism, Burial Rites evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Looking for some other books set in Iceland? Try any of the following.

As always, check each of our locations for displays with lots more titles to choose from!

Online Reading Challenge – September Wrap-Up

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

How did your reading go this month? Did you read something set in New York City that you enjoyed? Share in the comments!

I read our main title: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis. This is a dual timeline book, but both timelines take place in the same physical place, the New York Public Library. I was excited when I realized this was the main book for this month! I read this book for the first time when it was initally published in August 2020, but reread it to refresh myself for this challenge. This is one of my favorite books set in New York City, as well as one of my favorites set in a library. The dual mysteries, plus all the bucking against tradition, hooked me. Let’s get into it!

1913, New York: Laura Lyons and her family live in an apartment within the New York Public Library. Cool, right?! Laura’s husband is the superintendent for the library, which allows her family to live in this stately building. Laura should be happy with her lot in life, but she wants more. Laura applies to Columbia Journalism School, showcasing her headstrong and passionate personality by persuing stories all over the city. On one of her adventures in Greenwich Village, she discovers the Heterodoxy Club. This radical group is an all-female safe space where women can freely discuss their opinions on any subject without fear of judgment or retribution. These meetings change Laura’s opinions on a lot of things, one being the traditional role she plays in her family. A crisis back home sends Laura reeling. Valuable books have been reported stolen at the library, her husband’s credibility is in ruins, and her family is starting to fall apart. She has to decide where her loyalities lie before it’s too late.

Flash forward 80 years to 1993, New York: Sadie Donovan is at a loss. Her grandmother is the famous essayist Laura Lyons, something Sadie is both proud of, but also something she struggles with every day. After Sadie gets her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library, her joy is quickly squashed. Rare books, manuscripts, and notes are disappearing from the Berg Collection, framing Sadie as the library’s main suspect. Determined to save both her career and reputation, Sadie finds a private security expert who agrees to help her find the real culprit. Sadie expects to find the thief and her missing items, but is surprised when secrets from her own family’s past pop up demanding attention.

While I enjoyed this book, I admit that at points the two characters in two different timelines confused me. I would have loved separate books – one from Laura’s point of view and one from Sadie’s point of view. The themes of female empowerment, fighting against the oppression of women’s rights, and free-thinking women in the early 20th century pulled me in and kept me wanting to read more though. The Lions of Fifth Avenue was intriguing with its tales of sacrifice and secrets over generations. A solid four-star read for me!

In October, we’re headed to Iceland!

John Irving Returns to Iowa

- Lynn Leave a comment

John Irving will be speaking with Lan Samantha Chang, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop director, on October 13th at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City. A graduate of the IWW himself, Irving’s most recent book is The Last Chairlift.

Graduating from the IWW in 1967, Irving was mentored by one of the workshop’s most celebrated authors, Kurt Vonnegut. Like Vonnegut, Irving’s books often veer from violence to comedy, in an unexpected and unnerving way.

Irving’s connections to Iowa, wrestling and writing are evident in his novels – Iowa settings and characters, (and wrestlers) pop up frequently.

When The World According to Garp was published in 1978, Irving’s literary stardom was assured. Garp was a long, strange saga – peopled with eccentric characters and shocking twists and turns. It was revolutionary in the way farce, tragedy and taboo subjects were woven together. In recent years, Irving has spoken about how many of the subjects he addressed in the seventies are relevant again.

Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick: Wellness by Nathan Hill

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Join Simply Held to have certain celebrity book club picks automatically put on hold for you: Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush Hager, and Oprah Winfrey. While Reese and Jenna generally announce a new title each month, Oprah’s selections are more sporadic. She has announced her newest selection: Wellness by Nathan Hill. Reminder that if you join Simply Held, you can choose to have these titles automatically put on hold for you.

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Oprah Winfrey has selected Wellness by Nathan Hill.

Curious what Wellness is about? Check out the following description provided by the publisher.

The New York Times best-selling author of The Nix is back with a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together. From the gritty ’90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home-renovation hysteria, Wellness reimagines the love story with a healthy dose of insight, irony, and heart.

When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the ’90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward twenty years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine.

For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons, from unfulfilled career ambitions to painful childhood memories of their own dysfunctional families. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other. – Knopf

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Join Simply Held to have Oprah, Jenna, and Reese’s adult selections automatically put on hold for you!

Robert J Oppenheimer

- Stephanie Leave a comment

On July 21, 2023, Universal Pictures released the historical drama Oppenheimer, based on the life of Robert J. Oppenheimer. According to Box Office Mojo, Oppenheimer has grossed over 300 million dollars in domestic movie sales and nearly 800 million dollars in movie sales worldwide. The film stars Cillian Murphy as Robert J. Oppenheimer (1904-1967), an American theoretical physicist who was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project. The Los Alamos Laboratory was responsible for the design of the atomic bomb, and Oppenheimer is often referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb.”

Directed by Christopher Nolan, best known for science fiction films Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and Tenet (2020), the film is mostly told through the perspective of Robert J. Oppenheimer, beginning in 1926 when he is a doctorate student at Cambridge University. Weaved into the story are scenes in black and white that tell the point of view of Lewis Strauss, a powerful figure in developing nuclear weapons after World Ward II, whose actions sabotaged Oppenheimer’s career. Visit Roger-Ebert for a more detailed movie review.

Oppenheimer is not merely a work of historical fiction, but a cinematic masterpiece with unforgettable performances by Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt. Oppenheimer is expected to be released on DVD sometime in October of this year and will be available at all three Davenport Library locations. While you are waiting for Oppenheimer, we recommend the following materials about the development of the atomic bomb currently in The Library collection.

 

Documentary

Oppenheimer (2023)

 

Nonfiction Books

Killing the Rising Sun: How American Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O’Reilly

The Girls of Atomic City: the Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan

Trinity: a Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorn

The Bastard Brigade: the True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb by Sam Kean

Atomic Spy by Nancy Thorndike Greenspan

Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb by James Scott

Fallout: the Hiroshima Cover-Up and the Reporter Who Revealed it to the World by Lesley Blume

 

Fiction Books

Trinity by Louisa Hall

Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan

Hannah’s War by Jan Eliasberg

Bomb: the Race to Build-and Steal-the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit

 

 

Hard asks made easy by Laura Fredricks, JD

- Brenda Leave a comment

If you have ever struggled with asking for something you need or want, you may find the book Hard asks made easy: how to get exactly what you want by Laura Fredricks, JD worth reading. The author distills a complicated task into something more manageable. The method (make two statements, then ask one question) can simplify your approach and free your mind.

The book delves into four asking types, and includes a quiz to help you determine which one you are. Pros and cons of each type are discussed. The reader is reminded about the importance of tone and proper listening before, during, and after making the ask. Tips are offered on making various types of asks: asking for investments, repayment of debt, charity, health and medical related, including those about hospital procedures, prescriptions, and insurance coverage. A section is even included on spirituality and how to ask for intangible things from a higher power.

Any discussion of asking for something ought to include a section about what to do if your request is denied. A section called “When the answer is no” may be especially useful to readers. What do you have to lose by checking out this book? You may never know unless you ask!

Share in the comments if you’ve ever had to make a hard ask and how it turned out for you.

New and Upcoming Romances

- Michelle Leave a comment

Looking for a new romance? Our romance selector, Michelle, has gathered up a list of new and upcoming romances for you to check out! All of these titles can be found at a Davenport Public Library location.

Rock Bottom by Fern Michaels

Rock Bottom is the 35th book in Fern Michael’s Sisterhood series and finds wrongs that need to be made right by the Sisterhood.  In this installment, friends Isabelle and Yoko join forces to take on a large scale café project that will be the anchor of a new and trendy development.  Isabelle turns to her college roommate, Zoe, who has years of construction experience.  Zoe can’t hide her concern over building materials and inferior construction techniques with a host of buildings which she has been the project lead. Zoe questions the building integrity and quickly learns that someone wants her to stop asking questions and leave the issue alone, so she turns to the Sisterhood for assistance.

Silver Lady by Mary Jo Putney 

Silver Lady kicks off a new series by Mary Jo Putney and takes the reader to the rugged coast of England and seamlessly intertwines romance with historical fiction. Bran Tremayne has been told stories as a child that he is of a noble lineage and leaves city life for the coast of Cornwall to find answers.  Alone in the countryside he meets Merryn, a woman who is suffering from amnesia and is in danger.  Bran knows he needs to protect her after he discovers her life is a risk from rival rogue groups.  Can their newfound love face the dangerous challenges to come?

Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown does not disappoint with her latest standalone thriller, Out of Nowhere.  Two strangers, Elle and Calder, could not have come from opposite worlds.  After the unspeakable tragedy of an act of violence at a Texas county fair, their paths collide as they are putting the pieces of their lives back together.  After an initial attraction, the two face the difficult journey of dealing with the past and wondering if they have a future.  Their road to happiness becomes more complex as the suspect remains at large and could potentially threaten their happiness.

Santa and Company by Fern Michaels 

 Longtime friends plan a winter getaway with a destination of snow and a luxurious stay in a ski lodge in Santa and Company.  When one member of the group ventures out in the snow alone, a near disaster is averted when she is rescued by a stranger and sparks begin to fly.  Another member of the group also meets a stranger who may change her life.  On the cusp of the new year, the friends say goodbye to the hardships of the past and look forward to the future.

 

Darius by J. R. Ward 

J. R. Ward returns to the beginning of the saga in the latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Darius, which is a precursor to the popular and long running series.  Darius. the son of Marklon, avoids disaster after nearly hitting a woman after she runs into the road on a desolate stretch of highway.  Darius become disillusioned with the reign of the king and becomes consumed with the woman with whom he had a chance encounter and changes the course of his life.  When he reveals his true identity to her, his life takes a tragic turn with unforeseen consequences for the both of them.

The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin

In her latest standalone thriller The Ghost Illusion, Kat Martin blends romance and the paranormal with the best of a psychological thriller.  Eve has inherited a large estate from her deceased uncle and she has been unnerved at the ghostly goings on at night.  In her desperation, she locates a group that may be able to help her get to the bottom of her possible haunting.  The head of the paranormal group, Ransom King, senses that Eve may be in danger and as their relationship deepens, he finds himself doing whatever it takes to protect her from unseen forces.

 

A Christmas to Remember by Beverly Jenkins 

Beverly Jenkins returns to her popular Blessings series with A Christmas to Remember, which is the 11th book in the series.  Bernadine Brown is ready to wed her fiancé Malachi July after many ups and downs in the town of Henry Adams, Kansas.  With family and friends arriving in town for the nuptials, drama ensues and many of the attendees are dealing with emotional decisions of their own.  When the whole group gets together to celebrate, it is assured that this holiday season is one that no one will forget!

 

Additional Romance titles to be released soon

Dark Memory by Christine Feehan

Christmas in Painted Pony Creek by Linda Lael Miller

Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs

 

Hummingbird Heart by Travis Dandro

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Trigger warning: suicide, drug addiction, cancer, and death

Travis Dandro illustrates his teenage confusion during family tragedy in his graphic memoir, Hummingbird Heart. This graphic memoir was published in 2022 by Drawn and Quarterly. His first graphic novel,  King of King Court, was published in 2019 and won the Lynd Ward Prize for graphic novel of the year.

Hummingbird Heart chronicles Dandro’s life from right before he learned about his grandmother’s illness to when he moved away for college. This was a messy time in Dandro’s life. His drug-addicted father had just passed away by suicide. Still processing his death, Dandro is shocked to learn that his grandmother has cancer. While in high school, he moves in with his grandmother to be her caretaker. These changes takes place all while Dandro is a teenager. This doesn’t stop him from doing typical teenager things though: shoplifting, pranking, dating, and going on drives with his friends through town. After all, he’s a teenage boy trying to figure out his place.

One Halloween night, Dandro and two of his friends hatch a prank on one of their drives that backfires badly. Two of the boys bear the brunt of the punishment, while the other is left dealing with the fallout. This prank forces Dandro to realize that he needs to grow up. He can’t keep acting like a child. He needs to take responsibility and figure out his future. Dandro and his friends are sure to grow apart the older they get, especially when they move away. Throughout this memoir, Dandro examines the difficulties that teenagers go through as they fight for independence. His writing and drawings highlight the resiliency and his ability to find a way through all the traumas that were happening in his family.

This graphic memoir tugged at my heart through its incredibly detailed illustrations. His drawings switch from intricate drawings of random objects or animals to intensely emotional confrontations between characters. Pages of his work are densely drawn only to be abruptly interrupted by pages of minimal drawing. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats, similar to how Dandro felt during that difficult time in his life.

Throwback by Maurene Goo

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“Just because people don’t show every emotion they have in all caps all the time, doesn’t mean that they’re not feeling them, too.” – Maurene Goo, Throwback

That quote sums up Maurene Goo’s newest young adult book, Throwback. This is the story of a mother and daughter struggling to understand each other and the universe’s plan to force them to talk.

Samantha Kang is the daughter of a first-generation Asian American immigrant. Her mother, Priscilla Jo, is just so hard to relate to. Samantha understands that her mom had a rough time growing up, but come on, her own life is hard too. It doesn’t help matters that her mom has ridiculously high expectations for Samantha in high school.

Priscilla was a former high school cheerleader who subscribed to all of the high school cliches. Sam has no interest in doing anything cliched in school. Their differences come to a head after a family medical emergency leaves the two fighting, throwing barbed words at each other that hurt. Sam only wants to get away from her mom. Calling a rideshare service, Sam expects to go somewhere familiar. Instead she finds herself thrown way back in time.

Sam has landed in the 1990s. With a 17-year-old Priscilla.

Sam is shocked. She has no idea why she is here or how to get home. Stuck dealing with her teenage mother and her obsession with homecoming, Sam also has to deal with backward ’90s attitudes and equally as frustrating outdated technology. What Sam isn’t prepared for are the feelings that are growing for a football player named Jamie, who understands Sam without trying.

With no way to get out of the ’90s, Sam has to figure out why she was sent back. Priscilla must be part of the reason she’s here. The more time Sam spends with Priscilla, the more she realizes that everything she thought she knew about her mom may not be true. Traveling back in time and hanging out with teenage Priscilla may end up being a positive experience.

This title is also available as a Libby eBook and a Libby eAudiobook.