Library Blog

Terri recommends . . . 

Caste: the origins of our discontents 
by Isabel Wilkerson 

I liked this book because it made me revise my thinking. I assumed I always treated everyone the same, regardless. The author's writing made me take a closer look at subconscious expectations, and generational inequities that are different for different races. 

Find Caste: the origins of our discontents in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Axis 360 eBook
Montana Library2Go eBook and eAudiobook

Camden recommends . . . 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 
By Becky Chambers
 
Science fiction doesn't have to be about flashy lasers, epic battles, or hostile alien worlds. It can be about finding a new life aboard a long-haul space ship, enjoying a smokey bun cooked by an alien chef, or spending a quiet night chatting with your artificial intelligence girlfriend. Becky Chambers manages to find the comfort and compassion in a future world filled with people living in their own unique cultures, not always in harmony, but with real internal lives. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is science fiction for a quieter, more inclusive age. 

Find it in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Axis 360 eBook
Montana Library2Go eAudiobook 
Hoopla eBook and eAudiobook 

Jennifer recommends . . . 

Breath: the new science of a lost art  
by James Nestor  

I found this book to be incredibly interesting and even adopted some of the breathing techniques into my life. 
 
Find it in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format: 
Montana Library2Go eBook and eAudiobook 

Ghosts: a novel  
by Dolly Alderton 

I connected with this book almost immediately and found the narrative to be very funny, deeply insightful and surprisingly honest. 

Find Ghosts: a novel in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Montana Library2Go eBook

Guil recommends . . . 

Berserk 
by Kentaro Miura 

Berserk is Miura's three-decade spanning dark fantasy epic containing on each and every page some of the world's most beautiful pen-and-ink artwork. The story follows Guts, the black swordsman, as he battles demons (in every sense of the word) on his journey through a fantastical medieval world. Berserk beams with astounding quality, chapter after chapter, revealing to you a tale of steadfast perseverance in the most immersive way. 

Available through Interlibrary Loan
Read more about legendary artist/author Kentaro Miura Here 

Kelli recommends . . . 

Blackthorn & Grim series  
by Juliet Maurillier 

Starting with Dreamer’s Pool as the first book, followed by Tower of Thorns, and then Den of Wolves, the Blackthorn & Grim series by Juliet Maurillier are among the best books I’ve read this year. This is a traditional fantasy series, with elves, fairies, etc. It follows the lives of two convicts that escape with some magical help and are now bound by magical promises. I loved watching their friendship and character evolve as they recover from their imprisonment and figure out what life means again now that they are out.  

Find the Blackhorn & Grim series in the library catalog Here
The first book in the series, Dreamer’s Pool is also available in digital format:
Montana Library2Go eBook
Read more about this author’s other fantasy series Here
 

 Accidental Saints 
by Nadia Bolz-Weber  

This book was exactly what I needed in 2021. The author describes several experiences with normal people that have significantly impacted her life and taught her incredible lessons. Everyone, including the author, is imperfect and screwed up-just like all of us. It was a great way to see the good in people after a couple of years of so much ugly. 

Find Accidental Saints in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Montana Library2Go eAudiobook
Hoopla Spanish version

April recommends . . . 

Broken (in the best possible way) 
by Jenny Lawson 

A laugh out loud or cry in your mask read. The audiobook is read by the author, so of course her timing and emphasis is impeccable! In the way only the author could articulate, she delves into her world of mental illness and anxiety disorders and the joy of just being alive! P.S. The chapter on "lawn gophers" is hilarious!  

Find Broken in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Montana Library2Go eBook and eAudiobook

Beth recommends . . . 

Klara and the Sun
by Kazuo Ishiguro 

It was hard to pick the “best” book I read this year, however, if the quote at the beginning of this blog post is true, then Klara and the Sun is my top pick of the books I’ve read this year: I read this book last summer and I’m still a bit haunted by the dystopian world Ishiguro has created within its pages. The title character Klara is a robot, or more specifically, an Artificial Friend or “AF” for short. The story is also told from Klara’s perspective, and I found myself deeply empathizing with a robot by the book’s conclusion. 

Find Klara and the Sun in the library catalog Here
Also available in digital format:
Montana Library2Go eBook and eAudiobook

What are your favorite reads from 2021? Log in below and tell us about them!