August 2023

Laura' Picks:

The last drop of hemlock by Katharine Schellman (2023)

Return to the speakeasies of Jazz Age New York with Vivian Kelly. When her friend’s uncle is found dead in his apartment, the death is ruled a suicide. But the presence of a large payoff from a mob boss convinces Vivian otherwise. Her neighbors have been receiving anonymous letters, threatening them with poison unless they turn over their valuables. Could the two circumstances be connected?

People we meet on vacation by Emily Henry (2021)

Poppy and Alex have nothing in common, but they are best friends and meet every year to vacation together—until one year, when something happens, and everything goes wrong. Can they find their way back to being best friends again? Is it possible to be something more? Swoon-worthy travel descriptions pair with heartwarming romance to make the perfect beach read!

John's Picks:

Journeyman by Eric Clapton (1989)

 The eleventh studio album by Eric Clapton and his first record of new material in four years.   Despite a more electronic sound than his previous efforts, most music critics considered it a return to form for Clapton, who had recently achieved sobriety.  He also received a Grammy award the following year for the lead single, “Bad Love,” which reached number one on the Album Rock Charts.

Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984)

A compilation of greatest hits by Bob Marley and the Wailers released just three years after Marley’s death.   It contains all ten of Marley’s top 40 singles plus several other tracks from early on in the Wailers’ career.   With over twenty-five million units sold, it is the best-selling reggae album of all time.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

A computer-animated film based on the classic Nintendo character, Mario, not seen on screen since the live action movie thirty years prior.  It features Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario alongside Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black.  While obviously appealing to longstanding fans of the videogame franchise, you don’t have to be familiar with any of the Mario games to enjoy this movie.

Lauren's Picks:

 The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai (2023)

In the patriarchal society of this fantasy story, women have little say in their lives; they are unable to vote or even say their own marriage vows. The Daughters of Izdihar is a group fighting for women’s rights, which Nehal, an aristocratic lady, and Giorgina, a poor bookshop employee, both become involved in. Tensions continue to rise in the fight for equal rights and with war brewing with a neighboring nation over the use of elemental magic. It will only take one small spark to set their world aflame, with far-reaching consequences.