June Staff Picks

Summer always feels so busy, but we hope you are able to carve out some time to yourself to breath, relax, and read. If you haven’t registered for our Summer Reading challenge yet, be sure to stop by the library to get started. We have challenges for all ages–kids, teens and adults! Adults can also get started online at cdpl.beanstack.com. 

Once you’ve signed up, we can help you discover some great books to keep you reading. Whether you love realistic fiction, science fiction, or nonfiction, we have several books for you to choose from, currently on display on the first floor of the library.  

If you like mystery thrillers, don’t miss “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera (FIC Tintera). Along with a great twisty mystery, this book also has fun dialog and a unique main character. Mary recommends a dark, complex mystery “And There He Kept Her” by Joshua Moehling (FIC Moe): “A home invasion turns into a nightmare. Two women died years ago and the killer was never found. The tables are turned when the killer is the victim of a home invasion.” 

If you enjoy reading Barbara Kingsolver, Brenda recommends the haunting Southern fiction book “The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree” by India Hayford (FIC Hayford). She says, “The story was set in 1967 in Arkansas. Although it was sometimes hard to read with graphic scenes of domestic violence and abuse of all sorts, I felt it had lots of determined characters. I enjoyed the way ghosts were woven into the story. This book is a wild ride!”

If you enjoy reading Jim Butcher’s science fiction series, Crystal recommends reading the urban fantasy series written by his son, James J. Butcher. Start with “Dead Man’s Hand” (FIC Butcher Unorthodox v.1). This series combines mystery and magic in a Boston setting. 

For our large print readers, Dellie recommends “Welcome to the Honey B&B” by Melody Carlson (LP FIC Carlson), a sweet tale that explores returning home and finding new beginnings. Dellie also enjoyed “The Party Line” by Carolyn Brown (LP FIC Brown), another heartwarming story of returning home. She says, “Great book! Filled with loss, discovering the past, and mysteries to solve.” 

For our nonfiction readers, Dennis recommends a couple of timely biographies. In “I’m Your Huckleberry” (921 Kilmer, V.), actor Val Kilmer, who recently passed away at the age of 65, reflects on his iconic career, which included roles as Batman, Doc Holliday, and Jim Morrison. For baseball fans, the biography “Charlie Hustle” takes an in-depth book at the rise and fall of the late Pete Rose, who is now eligible for Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

For our readers who are ready to get outside and explore, Steph, our library naturalist, recommends “Ecoblitz: An Indiana Forest Expedition” by the Indiana Forest Alliance (577.3 Ecoblitz), which examines our local biodiversity. Not sure if you want to get outside, but feel like you should? We have a book for you, too! Susanna recommends “How to Suffer Outside: A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking and Backpacking” by Diana Helmuth (796.51 Hel). She says, “This book is approachable and informative, but also funny enough to read cover-to-cover, even if you never plan to leave home.”

Finally, if you would like a movie recommendation, Mischelle absolutely loves the movie “The Public” (DVD FIC Pub): She says, “I purchased my own copy and have watched it more than a dozen times. I’ll likely watch it again tonight! It’s insightful, humorous, and eye-opening! Anyone who has worked with the public in any kind of setting should watch this.”

Find all of these titles and more on display at the library through the end of the month. Several are also available to check out digitally from our free Libby app. Our library’s regular open hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.