Staff Picks: Light (but not empty) Reads

Tue, 05/30/2023 - 2:49pm by emjane

I love a good candy book. And by that, I mean a book that I am read purely for enjoyment without getting anything other than entertainment from it. But what I love even more than a light, candy read is one that has their fast, breezy pace, but also has a hint of depth to it. These “light but not empty” books are perfect to take to the beach, but also have enough something to them that you could have a good discussion with a friend about the story. Here are a few of my favorites!

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple | Request Now

Bernadette Fox is revered in the architecture field—even if it’s been a long time since she’s done any work—but in the world of her daughter Bee’s private school, she’s the weird mom who just can’t manage to play nice and fit in. Things only get worse when Bernadette has a mental break and disappears, leaving Bee to search for her. Told from the perspective of Bee, Where’d You Go Bernadette paints fully-formed mother and daughter characters, and though the description sounds heavy, the writing is fast-paced and the book doesn’t leave you depressed. Told primarily in emails, letters, fliers, and other ephemera, Where’d You Go is a page-turner with many laugh-out-loud moments.

 

 

 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman| Request Now

Some retirees work jigsaw puzzles. Some garden. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibraham try to solve murder cases that go cold. So when a murder happens adjacent to Coopers Chase, the retirement community where they live, of course they can’t help but investigate. These sleuths aren’t without skill and experience: Ibraham is a (mostly) retired psychologist, Ron was a fierce community organizer, Joyce was a nurse and Elizabeth, well, she never comes right out and says what she used to do, but she seems to have international intelligence experience.

This book is full of humor – as someone who worked for years at a senior living community I can attest that so many of the little details are stunningly accurate – and the mystery itself is a twisty case. 

Full disclosure, as of right now, the hold list is on the long side – it’s a great one to request now and be happily surprised when it shows up for you! (Or check the Express Shelf!)

 

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes | Request Now

Laurie (temporarily) returns to her hometown to empty out her great-aunt Dot’s home after Dot’s passing. Approaching her 40th birthday with a cancelled wedding just barely behind her, Laurie is at a potential life crossroad. While reconnecting with old friends (and an old boyfriend too!), Laurie also uncovers a mystery around a potentially valuable (and potentially value-less) decoy duck of Dot’s. Sounds a bit like a Hallmark movie, and perhaps in less deft hands, it might be the book equivalent. However, Holmes excels at writing romantic novels that are so much more than the romance. Laurie is a well-rounded character you can’t help but root for, the mystery of the duck is compelling, and the romance that’s in there? Also pretty good! Holmes’ previous book Evvie Drake Starts Over is also a delightful read.

 

 

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore | Request Now

Oona is set to turn 19 at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, ready to move fully into what adulthood has to give her. What she did not expect was that instead of starting her 1983 as a 19-year-old, she is thrust into 2015 and a 51-year-old body. Oona, as the title suggests, is somehow stuck living her life out of order, jumping from age-to-age as New Year’s Eve turns to New Year’s Day. Though this twist on the Groundhogs Day premise could be confusing, the book’s structure keeps things clear enough, and it was an enjoyable ride figuring out how Oona navigates the twisting timeline of her existence – and what agency, if any, she has in changing it.