What books, movies, or music compelled you, made you angry, or helped you learn something new in 2017? Below you'll find what flew off our shelves throughout the year.
Print Fiction
The Whistler by John Grisham: "A high-stakes game of gambling, greed, and murder plays out in another page-turner from a master storyteller." PW
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult: "In Picoult’s story, a medical crisis results in an infant’s death and a murder charge against a black nurse named Ruth Jefferson. The story unfolds from three viewpoints: Ruth’s, the infant’s father—a skinhead named Turk—and Ruth’s public defender, Kennedy McQuarrie, a white professional woman questioning her own views about racism." PW
Print NonFiction
How Not to Die by Michael Greger M.D.: "This evidence-based guide unpacks information useful to carnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike, making a strong case for the healing power of food." PW
Born a Crime: stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah: "Noah’s story is the story of modern South Africa; though he enjoyed some privileges of the region’s slow Westernization, his formative years were shaped by poverty, injustice, and violence. Noah is quick with a disarming joke, and he skillfully integrates the parallel narratives via interstitial asides between chapters to explain the finer details of African culture and history for the uninformed." PW
The Whistler by John Grisham: "Narrator Cassandra Campbell keeps up a good pace and varies her tone as she portrays the myriad characters. Without using accents she ensures that listeners can keep the cast straight as the pair of investigators find themselves with targets on their backs." AF
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: "Caroline Lee’s unusual vocal timbre coupled with outstanding acting makes this a listening experience you can’t tear yourself away from." AF
eBooks
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Downloadable on mobile devices wherever you have a cellular or Internet connection. Need help? Contact your local library branch for a one-on-one tutorial.
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict: "Albert Einstein may not have been the only mastermind behind his groundbreaking ideas about relativity; it turns out the renowned theoretical physicist collaborated a great deal with his first wife, Mileva Maric´—a Serbian woman of modest means who was one of the few women to study math and science at the Zurich Polytechnic School where the two meet." PW
Camino Island by John Grisham: "The opening chapters detailing an elaborate scheme to steal five F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from Princeton are the best part of this thriller from bestseller Grisham." PW
Movies
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Who doesn't love a story about a little blue fish? "Finding Dory" was checked out 279 times.
25 by Adele: "Some of pop's biggest names, from Max Martin to Bruno Mars, join familiar faces like Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder in 25's dream team of producers and co-writers. They help create a rich set of songs without getting in the way of the lady in charge." RS
Wilder Mind by Mumford & Sons: "Even amid all the new sounds on Wilder Mind, the impassioned earnestness that made Mumford & Sons stars is still their driving force. The same cleareyed, full-hearted intensity that set the table for fellow U.K. roots newcomers like Laura Marling and Jake Bugg animates highlights like 'Believe' and 'Only Love,' where lyrics about balancing doubt and hope in the face of fading romance take on a universal power." RS
Kids Books
The "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series by Jeff Kinney (now with 12 books and three movies) has been a hit with kids for over 10 years.
Young Adult
Did you know? While young adult books are aimed at audiences between 12-18 years of age, over half of young adult book readers are adults!