Staff Picks: What We Loved In 2021Like this list

46 items

• The Starless Sea

  Morgenstern, Erin

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  The story starts off with little vignettes of what seem to be fairy tales; a story of a pirate in prison and a girl who visits him, a girl who loses her tongue to be part of a society, the son of a fortune teller who sees a painted door on a wall…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Salvation of a Saint

  Higashino, Keigo, 1958-

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  This is the third Keigo Higashino book I’ve read and just like the others, it exceeded my expectations and gripped me. We know who killed the man in the first chapter, but we don’t know how. We spend the rest of the book trying to figure it out as…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Sun Does Shine

  How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

  Hinton, Anthony Ray

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  Part of my job at the library, is to create Reading Guides that come with our Surrey Libraries Book Club kits. I came across this book and one sentence from the blurb really got my attention. This book is written by Anthony Ray Hinton, a man who has…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

  Wheatley, Phillis, 1753-1784

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  Despite the aggressively bland title, this existence of this poetry anthology is a truly dramatic tale of beating the odds. Written by an African-born enslaved teenage girl living in 1700s Boston, it provides a unique glimpse into the life of a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Letter From Paris

  a True Story of Hidden Art, Lost Romance, and Family Reclaimed

  Deasey, Louisa, 1977-

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  It was the subtitle and the cover photo that made me consider this book. Who can resist a story of hidden art, lost romance and a vintage shot of the Eiffel Tower! You’ll find a great summary of the book on our website but my take-away from reading…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Project Hail Mary

  a Novel

  Weir, Andy

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  Project Hail Mary, the newest novel by Andy Weir, author of The Martian, is a must-read for enthusiasts of realistic science fiction. The story grabs your attention right from the first few paragraphs and doesn’t let go. I had a hard time putting…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Care of

  Letters, Connections, and Cures

  Coyote, Ivan

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  If you love Ivan Coyote books/performances, you will love the audiobook, Care Of: Letters, Connections and Cures, narrated by the author. Written during the 2020 pandemic shutdowns, Ivan reads from a file of fan letters they received over the years…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hooped

  a Novel

  Bains, Michael,

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  The novel is about a Grade 12, Surrey teen, excelling at basketball and liked by teachers & students alike, who ends up taking a wrong turn and getting involved in drugs. He is running away from the low-income life that his parents have mainly known…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Olive Kitteridge

  Strout, Elizabeth

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  These stories have a magical quality of taking one on a ride to a small town in Maine on the Atlantic coast.  What made it special for me were the details of the daily life, the relationships, and the landscape. The drama that unfolds from different…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Solitude of Prime Numbers

  Giordano, Paolo, 1982-

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  In the novel The Solitude of Prime Numbers, we meet two outsiders Alice and Mattia. Alice's story begins with a traumatic childhood accident that changes the course of her life forever. Meanwhile, Mattia's early beginnings are even more tragic and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• What Fresh Hell Is This?

  Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You

  Corinna, Heather

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  I wanted to highlight a new book in our collection for women and people with female parts who are 40+. I’ve learned so much! It is a very irreverent book full of information, tips and ideas about how to navigate this stage of life that ranges from…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Binti

  Okorafor, Nnedi

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  Science Fiction. Fantastic coming-of-age story of a teen girl. Does a good job illustrating a lot of common anxieties on a theme of graduation, going to unknown territories. The main character is leaving her planet for an opportunity to attend a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Such a Fun Age

  a Novel

  Reid, Kiley

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  I could not put this book down the moment I started it. The opening chapter starts off with a heavy interaction between a young black woman named Emira and a grocery store security officer. The issues of race are set up from that point on with that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Blackout

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  Blackout is an absolutely gorgeous story written by multiple authors about an intertwined community of teens falling in love in NYC during a blackout. If you love young adult romance (kissing, no sex), if you want to meet new Black authors, if you…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

  Waxman, Abbi

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  Nina is a loner who loves reading and works in a bookstore. She is self sufficient and anxious, and a whiz at trivia. When she discovers she has an unknown family, and a crush on a fellow trivia competitor, things start to fall apart. Lots of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tears

  Delacroix, Sibylle

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  A lovely book on emotions. Gorgeous illustrations. This picture book teaches children that it’s okay to cry and that there can be different types of tears: from joy to anger to pain. All of those tears are normal; we all have feelings and everybody…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Catch and Kill

  Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

  Farrow, Ronan, 1987-

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  If you’ve been following the trial of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, this explosive book traces the journey of the #MeToo movement from the start. Ronan Farrow’s investigative journalism reads like a heart-racing thriller, complete with…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tweet Cute

  Lord, Emma

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  All I can say is, wow. I really enjoyed the story and the execution is flawless. Most books jump straight into romance and are pretty unrealistic, but the story flowed really well and the two main characters are perfect for each other. Both of them…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Pete the Cat. I Love My White Shoes

  Litwin, Eric

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  It’s a great book for educators and caregivers when trying to engage and teach young children. Its repetitive and sing-along structure makes it very memorable, accessible, and fun for kids (Submitted by Susan)

• The Guest List

  a Novel

  Foley, Lucy (Novelist)

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  It’s Agatha Christie type of mystery. Quick, fun read. Mystery is told from different points of view. Starts off with a wedding and then… murder is in the air. Page turner for sure. (Submitted by Quinn)