STAFF PICKS

We like to read, and we like to share what we read! This is a list of recent favorites.

Stories for the Witching Hour Halloween is the perfect time for stories that make you want to leave the lights on. Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of the best-selling Let the Right One In (adapted for the screen as Let Me In for U.S. audiences in 2007) offers a new collection of short stories, Let the Old Dreams Die. This new collection offers further proof that Lindqvist is an absolute master of uniting horror and humanity. A far cry from mindless gore, Lindqvist's tales weave philosophical questions surrounding our worst fears and greatest loves alongside the havoc of zombies and vampires. Fans will be delighted to find familiar characters from his most popular novels (Let the Right One In and Handling the Dead), yet Let the Old Dreams Die holds spine-tingling delights for the uninitiated as well.

Want to see all the staff picks?  In Encore (our catalog) search for HPL Staff Picks. To sign up for this, or any of our newsletters, check out our Newsletter sign up page.

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses By Kimmerer, Robin Wall 2003-03 - Oregon State University Press 9780870714993 Check Our Catalog Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide, nor is it a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of linked personal essays that will lead general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to redwoods and rednecks. Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us. Drawing on her diverse experiences as a scientist, mother, teacher, and writer of Native American heritage, Kimmerer explains the stories of mosses in scientific terms as well as in the framework of indigenous ways of knowing. In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world. Gathering Moss will appeal to a wide range of readers, from bryologists to those interested in natural history and the environment, Native Americans, and contemporary nature and science writing. …More

Thankless in Death By Robb, J. D. 2013-09 - G. P. Putnam's Sons 9780399164422 Check Our Catalog In the latest suspense thriller in the #1 "New York Times" bestselling series, the year 2060 is drawing to a close in New York City and loved ones are coming together for Thanksgiving. But sometimes the deepest hatreds seethe within the closest relationships, and blood flows faster than water. …More

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark By Sagan, Carl 1997-02 - Ballantine Books 9780345409461 Check Our Catalog "A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought." *Los Angeles Times "POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing." *The Washington Post Book World How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. "COMPELLING." *USA Today "A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity." *The Sciences "PASSIONATE." *San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle …More

Insurgent By Roth, Veronica 2012-05 - Katherine Tegen Books 9780062024046 Check Our Catalog YA book about a world made up of Factions…groups of people in the US that handle different aspects of life.  The selfless are in Politics, the ruthless and tough are in Dauntless (protectors), etc.  When the characters turn 16 they all go take a test to see which faction they should be in.  Most everyone chooses or is chosen for the faction they were born into.  Some have characteristics of factions they weren’t born into so they switch.  Some “Divergents” are those that can choose from more than one faction because they have characteristics of one or two different groups.  These books follow some of the characters through their choosing and what happens when the factions start to plot against each other.  Do you remain true to the faction in which you were born, or do you remain true to the faction you chose??  …More

Instructions for a Heatwave By O'Farrell, Maggie 2013-06 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780385349406 Check Our Catalog A sweeping family drama set in London during the summer of 1976. The disappearance of a family patriarch forces three adult siblings to gather together to find him and to confront what they really know about their father and themselves. …More

The Ocean at the End of the Lane By Gaiman, Neil 2013-06 - William Morrow & Company 9780062255655 Check Our Catalog The author's first new novel for adults since his #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Anansi Boys" is a bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery, survival, memory and magic that makes the impossible all too real. …More

The Anatomist's Apprentice By Harris, Tessa 2012-01 - Kensington Publishing Corporation 9780758266989 Check Our Catalog The death of Sir Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip throughout Oxfordshire. No one mourns the dissolute young man--except his sister, Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, Lydia seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia. …More