Staff Picks

1. As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
In February of 2020, I was looking under Historical Fiction and found this book. It is about the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. Little did I know that a month later our world would be experiencing a similar situation.
The book is set in Philadelphia that was hit particularly hard by the flu. It is about the family of a mortician and the difficulties they all endured being so close to the horrors of the sickness and the long and tiring extra work. Susan Meissner is so good at storytelling. I always enjoy her books.

2. One Summer by David Baldacci
When I saw One Summer was going to be made into a Hallmark movie I hurried and read the book before seeing the movie. I’m glad I did because the book is definitely better. It is quite a change from the usual writing of David Baldacci.Terminally ill Jack is preparing to say goodbye to his wife Lizzie and their 3 children. On Christmas Eve, Lizzie is killed in a tragic accident . With Jack unable to care for them, the children are separated and sent to live with relatives. Then, miraculously , Jack recovers and learns to deal with the loss of his wife and regaining custody of his children.

3. To Wake the Giant by Jeff Shaara
In the early part of 1941, no one in the U.S . Military believed Japan was a real threat. In the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jeff Shaara gives us a look into the events that unfolded before the deadly attack from the perspectives of the U.S Secretary of State, Japan’s Ambassador to the U.S., The Japanese Admiral who planned the attack, an American Intelligence officer and a 19 year old sailor aboard the USS Arizona.
To Wake the Giant is a great book for history buffs. .

4. The Judge's List by John Grisham
I love John Grisham and have read most of his books. The Judge’s List features a character from a previous book, The Whistler.
Lacy Stoltz works for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct. An anonymous woman claims a sitting judge in Florida is a serial killer. The woman’s father was one of his first victims and she has spent most of her life trying to get enough proof to have him arrested. With Lacy’s help, she hopes to get the police involved and put him in prison. It is a riveting thriller with many twists and turns.

5. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
I’m ashamed to say I had never read this book. My granddaughter wanted to show me how her reading had improved and the Giving Tree was the book she picked.
Now I understand why it is such a beloved book. It is cute for a child to see the little boy talk to the tree and evolve into an old man but adults will see a touching story of true love and devotion.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein should be on everyone’s list of books to read.

Joanne Seck