What to add to your reading list this spring
A book often generates a lengthy waitlist in the Butler County Federated Library System when it is adapted into a movie or TV show. So if you are 38th in line for a copy of “Project Hail Mary,” librarians may be able to make the wait more bearable by recommending a book by the same author or one that’s similar.
Megan Babal, adult services manager at the Cranberry Public Library, said helping people choose a book is one of her favorite parts of her job. She and the other librarians not only help curate new materials to stock the shelves with, they have recommendation tags which they stick on books they enjoy so others can make their decision with professional help.
While Babal’s name can be found on the staff picks shelves, she said people who approach her to ask for a book usually get a few recommendations based on what they like. Babal reads dozens of books each year and tracks them on the social media platform Goodreads, which comes in handy when someone asks for a book similar to what they were looking for.
“We have a lot of fun with it, thinking of what we want to put out and recommend,” Babal said. “We try to pick things people don’t know about and new authors.”
Babal is a regular reader of historical fiction, but also enjoys contemporary fiction, fantasy and stories featuring friendships between people and animals. She said “This Book Made Me Think of You” by Libby Page was an impactful and compelling novel that she recently finished.
“It’s about a woman who loses her husband, he passes away and he gives her 12 months of books from their local bookstore,” Babal said. “She reads the books and it’s her way of continuing to be connected to him and move through her grief process.
“I’ve recommended it to people if they want something heartwarming.”
Book talk is common among all librarians, Babal said, not just as part of the job.
Dianne McCauley, adult services librarian at Butler Area Public Library, started two book clubs — one based on a different theme each month and the other for horror, thriller and science fiction fans — which offer some structure and community to readers.
“No Shelf Control Book Club … we do a topic, so I give them a choice of two topics and they can read anything they want that relates to that topic,” McCauley said. “Sometimes not everyone wants to read the same book, so this way they can pick their own.”
While Nicole Tropf, circulation and development coordinator at the Butler library, usually strays away from a one-size-fits-all approach to book recommendations, she said a few books have recently wowed her. She said she enjoys historical fiction, but also likes reading “heavy lifting rom-coms” and other novels with deep themes.
She said “A Little Life,” a novel by Hanya Yanagihara, was a story that changed her life after recently reading it.
“That book was very heavy it has a lot of triggers but it was beautifully written,” Tropf said.
Tropf also said “The Women,” by Kristin Hannah, is a good historical fiction novel; “The Instrumentalist,” by Harriet Constable, is a “fiction fairytale” that struck her; and “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written,” by Walter Isaacson, was an interesting look at part of the Declaration of Independence.
She said “I See You’ve Called in Dead,” by John Kenney, is a book she read quickly. It’s about an obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obituary and learns about his life by watching the reaction to his supposed death.
Tropf said people who want to read more often should start simply with genres or authors they enjoy and then branch out.
“Everyone has their own personal taste,” she said. “A lot of our staff read different genres and they’ll do book talks which people can see.”
Bridget Weleski, youth services leader at the South Butler Community Library, tries to keep a few picks in her head depending on the reading level of someone who asks her for a recommendation. She said she reads about 50 books per year, so she could probably think of at least one worth a read.
“I give them a whole lot of recommendations and say, ‘Read a whole chapter and see what you like,’” Weleski said. “I like fantasy, thrillers, some historical fiction, but I also read young adult and I do like to read some middle grade.”
For historical fiction fans, Weleski recommends “The Book of Lost Names,” by Kristin Harmel, which follows a young Jewish woman during World War II who helps children escape Germany to get to Switzerland.
For young adults, she recommends “Ember in the Ashes,” by Sabaa Tahir, which takes place in a fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome and follows a girl who spies for a rebel group to rescue her brother who is being held prisoner. Even though the book is geared toward young adult readers, Weleski said it and other young adult novels are good for people who want a story that is easy to digest, even though they can still challenge perspectives.
“Reading is my escape, so I like to go into different worlds and experience different things,” Weleski said of her enjoyment of fantasy novels. “I like this book because it's fast-paced, action-packed and the whole series is good.”
“Fablehaven,” by Brandon Mull, is another fantasy book, but one written for middle-grade students, and tells the story of a brother and sister who discover their grandfather takes care of magical creatures, but break one of his rules, unleashing evil.
For young children, whom Weleski is attuned to because of her regular storytimes, she recommends checking out “Scaredy Squirrel,” by Mélanie Watt, a picture book series that follows a particularly nervous rodent.
McCauley said “Weyward,” by Emilia Hart, is a good read for fans of science fiction fantasy and follows three women over three different time periods who have the gift of witchcraft. It deals with the societal reactions to their gifts.
She also recommends “A Love Song for Ricki Wilde,” by Tia Williams, which is a heightened romance novel, but one she said anyone might enjoy simply because of its quality.
“It’s a sexy, modern-day fairy tale about a free-spirited florist and an enigmatic musician,” she said. “It’s set in the Harlem Rennaissance period and modern day. It’s got a supernatural part to it, but a really fabulous book, it’s a five star for me.”
Babal said new books are always being added to libraries, which librarians like her try to stay on top of so they can give an informed opinion on some of the popular books patrons may come to the library to check out.
“We go through library journal and our book vendor and picking books to add to our collection constantly,” Babal said. “People are looking for the newest bestsellers.”
Each librarian also said apps like Goodreads are good for getting a general idea of what is popular and for personal reviews. Several of them referenced it as a great program for tracking what books they have read.
