June 2022
Amy's Picks
To Be Loved By You by Debbie Burns (2022)
The sixth book in the "Rescue Me" contemporary romance series features Jeremy, the owner of rescue dog Rolo (a German shepherd and Bernese mountain mix), and Ava, a yoga instructor helping with a teen program. The animal shelter is the perfect place for second chances in romance!
A Margin for Murder by Lauren Elliott (2022)
Maybe you'd rather dive into a cozy mystery! Bookseller Addie Greyborne juggles a bookmobile, missing first editions, and (of course) murder in the eighth entry in the "Beyond the Pages Bookstore Mystery" series. Can Addie identify the murderer before she becomes the next victim?
Laura's Picks
Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi (2022)
Think Jurassic Park, but more fun, less science, and bigger monsters. The Kaiju Preservation Society exists on an alternate Earth and their mission is to protect the kaiju from exploitation and from accidentally creating a rift in space and crossing over to "our" Earth. Guess what happens. Grab your popcorn: this thrill ride is pure escapist fun.
The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton (2022)
An extremely silly (and extremely fun!) tale of witches, etiquette, pirates, and romance-complete with commentary from Jane Austen's heroines. This book is a frothy delight.
Diane's Picks
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton (2022)
After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity - and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution. This is a book of contrast: Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. The book moves back and forth from 1958 Havana in 1958 to Miami in 2017 and provides an interesting, eye-opening perspective.
Going There by Katie Couric (2022)
To be honest, I did not believe I would enjoy this book. But I was surprised. Katie Couric's memoir is brutally honest, funny and heartbreaking. It is not a "syrupy upbeat" memoir, but one in which the author reveals her sometimes tumultuous personal and professional life allowing the reader a glimpse of what was happening behind the scenes.
John's Picks
Storm Front by Billy Joel (1989)
The eleventh studio album by Billy Joel and his last of the eighties. Containing five hit singles such as "Leningrad" and "The Downeaster Alexa," it's one of Joel's strongest efforts. "We Didn't Start the Fire" is also another great track, highlighting Joel's interest in history; one that mirrors my own as well.
The Captain and the Kid by Elton John (2006)
Also available on hoopla.
Elton John's twenty-eighth studio album and the successor to his autobiographical album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, released over three decades prior. The title track, the final one on the album has a near identical opening structure to the title track on the original album. As its predecessor is my favorite album of all time (as evidenced by my staff portrait), I was initially weary of how John could follow up such an amazing record. But as of today, The Captain and the Kid is still my favorite album of the twenty-first century so far.