Check out new page-turners recommended by Sara Q. Thompson and Paige Bentley Flannery of the Deschutes Public Library.
The Moth Presents All These Wonders: True stories about facing the unknown edited by Catherine Burns; foreword by Neil Gaiman
Forty-five memories from forty-five different voices curated by the creators of The Moth storytelling series (and podcast). We meet the English hairdresser who gave David Bowie his first dye job. We stand in the rubble of a catastrophic earthquake with an engineer and his team. We hold our breath with refugees as they board a plane with their children, hoping against hope that this flight will save their lives. We share an awkward family dinner with relatives who have just met for the first time. Reading these moments of honesty and reflection called to mind the old saying, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” —Sara Q. Thompson, adult services manager
New People by Danzy Senna
Maria, a young graduate, is living in New York with her fiancé and college sweetheart, Khalil. Everything seems normal as we follow Maria through libraries while she works on her dissertation and Khalil works though his dot-com adventures. But is she ready for marriage? The biracial twenty-somethings are being filmed for a documentary about “new people” like them who are at the forefront of a new generation. But it’s a young poet who upends Maria’s world, as her interest in him veers into obsession. Danzy Senna, the bestselling author of Caucasia, weaves a story of cultural issues with dark humor. It’s a captivating novel with discussions of race, marriage and family that readers will continue to ponder. — Paige Bentley Flannery, community librarian
Colors of the West: An artist’s guide to nature’s palette by Molly Hashimoto
For the outdoor and art enthusiast in your life, this book can serve as travel book, nature guide, artist manual and coffee table display. Hashimoto weaves beautiful pen and watercolor sketches from national parks, monuments, vistas with flora
and fauna notes, artist profiles, location-specific palettes and painting technique tips. There were many pages that I savored with pleasure. The color palette for the Yellowstone thermal pools took my breath away. Central Oregonians will recognize favorite regional haunts Smith Rock, the Badlands and Crater Lake. The chapters are arranged by color, and the book is so luscious you will likely find yourself flipping through the pages just for the joy of it. —SQT
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Anna’s family is living in New York City during the 1930s when her father disappears, leaving them without an explanation. Anna begins her journey searching for answers. Her strength is beautifully shown as she takes care of her sister and mother and works in the Navy Yard. There, her independence shines as she becomes the first female diver and works a dangerous job repairing ships to support the war. Readers will appreciate the rich atmosphere in this historical fiction as the heroine rides her bike through alleys, visits Brooklyn waterfront saloons an
d mixes with the gritty characters who earn their living on the water. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan captures the essence of New York City in this magnificent novel filled with survival, war, mystery and romance. —PBF
