The Piscataway Library staff members have been reading everything from adult and young adult fiction to historical nonfiction. On display this month at the library are books chosen by our staff members for your reading convenience! No matter what you enjoy, these recommendations will be sure to help you find your next great read! Here are a few of our books on display that you can check out now!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top–the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Rebecca Berkowitz, one of our Adult Services librarians, says, “It’s a story of an aging actress who tells a reporter how she became a Hollywood star. There’s LGBTQ+ content, the glamour and the dark side of Hollywood, and the underlying mystery of why this particular reporter was chosen for the story.” (content warning: domestic violence/abuse). This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
The Radium Girls is the true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in factories across the U.S. in the early 20th century. They battled to strengthen workers’ rights, even as the fatal poison claimed their own lives. Sharlene Edwards, Head of Children’s Services, says, “This period of American history is so fascinating and infuriating! The women featured in this book endured horrific emotional and physical abuses and had to find the strength to fight for justice. Prior to reading, I’d never heard of the Radium Girls. It was truly an eye-opener for me.” This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei’s childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon — and America itself — in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. Dean Klimek in Teen Services says the graphic novel format made it easy to learn about this instance of institutional racism. This title is also available as a downloadable ebook.
The Chain by by Adrian McKinty
Rachel Klein gets a phone call from an unknown number telling her that her daughter has been kidnapped. To make matters worse the only way to get her daughter back is to kidnap another child to continue “the chain.” Stephanie Young in Adult Services says, “The Chain is intense, suspenseful, smart, and outrageous! This book is a wild ride that is perfect for fans of mystery and thriller novels that keep you reading until the wee hours of the night.” This title is also available as a downloadable ebook and audiobook.
Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization by Nicholson Baker
A study of the decades leading up to World War II profiles the world leaders, politicians, business people, and others whose personal politics and ideologies provided an inevitable barrier to the peace process and whose actions led to the outbreak of war. Anna Pickoff-White in our User Services Department says, “It’s a history of World War II that centers on pacifism. Each outburst of unimaginable violence is in the context of what forces and which individuals were trying to prevent things from becoming so bloody. It’s also extremely readable, almost Twitter-like. Each paragraph is a snippet of biography, and all these snippets intertwine to form a story of hundreds of different lives, across political affiliations and nations.”
The Beirut Protocol by Joel C. Rosenberg
“As a peace treaty between Israel and the Saudis is nearly done, The secretary of state is headed to the region to seal the deal. However, when Ryker and his team are ambushed by Hezbollah forces, a nightmare scenario begins to unfold. In the fourth installment of Rosenberg’s gripping new series, Marcus Ryker finds himself in the most dangerous situation he has ever faced―captured, brutalized, and dragged deep behind enemy lines.” Jean DeSio in User Services says it is a “fast paced action book, the fourth in the Marcus Ryker series. If possible read the others first!”