What Does a Librarian Read?

With the start of the Summer Reading Program, you might be thinking about books you're going to read. If I may, I'd like to share some books that I've enjoyed recently, all of which were published over the last several years and can either be found in our library or on Libby/Overdrive.

• The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore  I love this book not only because it's about a librarian and about people coming together to help each other, but also because it's written by a local Spokane author and takes place in nearby Coeur d'Alene. Who doesn't enjoy reading about familiar places?
• Listening Still by Anne Griffin  The setting and topic of this book are a little off the beaten path--in a small Irish town, a funeral home director's daughter is able to hear the thoughts of the newly deceased. Although it may sound macabre, the book is more about the choices we make, the outcomes of those choices, and accepting those outcomes.
• The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin  I can't speak for all librarians, but I find it interesting to read about others in my profession, fictional or real. The story of a librarian from the Library of Congress working covertly in Portugal may be fictional, but the World War II events and circumstances depicted are not.
• Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old by Steven Petrow  We may see our grandparents, parents, or other relatives aging and think we're going to age more gracefully. History, though, has a habit of repeating itself. I like how this author examines his parents' aging as well as his own with a mix of humor, frustration, surprise, and ultimately compassion.
• The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley  I guess I have a soft spot for lonely characters who eventually come together and support each other. This one, however, takes place in London and centers around a notebook in which the characters write about what their lives are really like rather than the façades they present to others everyday.
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt  This is a different kind of feel-good book told from the perspective of an octopus and an older woman who cleans a fictional aquarium near Seattle. The two form an unlikely friendship of sorts and unexpected things happen. Just take my word and give this one a try.

If none of these titles rings your bell, that's okay. Stop by the perch and I'll help you find a book that does.

Wishing you many good reads this summer from the perch.