The Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Title: The Thirteenth Child
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

In a world where numbers hold a lot of magic in and of themselves, where magic tumbles forth from the edges of all of the known civilization, and where society itself has declared some children extra special and powerful from birth, but has declared this young to be such bad luck that even her own relatives often don't want her around, Eff has been conditioned to shrink into the background of her own life. However, when she discovers her own magical talents may rival her talented, lauded brother (who is the seventh son of a seventh son!) but may also lie in a different realm of magic altogether, Eff can no longer be ignored and cast aside by anyone, least of all herself!

- Katrina

Check out The Thirteenth Child @ the library!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Author: Susan Cain
Genre: General Non-Fiction

Living in a society that clearly promotes being outgoing and extroverted, it can be hard for us to see the value of an introverted nature. Susan Cain and her extensively researched book make a point to demonstrate that though there are differences between the two styles, there isn't necessarily a better one to be. Knowing which you are, and yes, you can have elements of both, can help you to a better, healthier life and more fulfilled relationships with others.

I appreciated the many accessible examples provided in this book and the occasional self-tests to help determine where I fell on the spectrum of introversion-extroversion. Additionally, this book helped me comprehend the basis for various sensitivities and the reasons for some behaviors. I think this is a good book for anyone looking to better understand themselves and those around them. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking @ the library!

Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Title: Eye of the World
Author: Robert Jordan
Genre: Fantasy

The novel began a bit slow but as the story progressed I became more enthralled with the story and characters. The author captures the voice of each character and their unique personalities provide a variety of characters to be drawn to. The story follows the classic structure of a Hero's Journey that fantasy lovers are accustomed to (LOTR/Star Wars). Events arise that force the main character to leave his hometown. Before embarking on his journey his two friends and love interest join him. Having never left their small town they jump at a chance to go explore the world. Little do they know how much danger awaits them as fate pulls them towards their destinies. This is the first of a 14 book series, it is quite a commitment but definitely worth your time if you like fantasy. 

- Gina

Check out Eye of the World @ the library!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Title: The Turn of the Key
Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

A daycare employee reads an ad for a live-in nanny position for a family in the remote Heatherbrae House. The pay is great and the opportunity looks too good to pass up. She's on guard when she's asked about being superstitious, but discounts the previous nannies' abrupt departures. She is offered the job and accepts.

When the Elincourts hire Rowan Caine to take care of their four girls, they never expected to wind up with three. Now the nanny is applying to the best local legal defense in Scotland to hear her out, but she has to convince Mr. Wrexham to take her case via letters from jail. 

Hear the tale from the nanny's perspective. Would you believe her? Read The Turn of the Key to find out. 

I liked the building of suspense and that it had enough twists to keep one guessing. 
It also made me rethink exactly how "smart" I want my house to be.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Turn of the Key @ the library!

Star-Crossed by Minnie Darke

Title: Star-Crossed
Author: Minnie Darke
Genre: Women's Fiction

Star-Crossed is a cute tale that revolves around horoscopes. Main character Justine is a journalist who comes across a childhood friend named Nick. She is tasked with writing the horoscope, which Nick avidly reads. Soon enough she's composing horoscopes when she shouldn't be to hilarious and disastrous results. This book is written in a unique way, entwining characters with both large and small storylines. It's a nice light read, so if you're looking for a book to cozy up inside with over the winter, check this one out!

- Jamie

Check out Star-Crossed @ the library!

Librarian Favorites of the Decade!

Since we're closing out the decade, we thought we'd round up a list of the West Allis Public Library staff's favorite reads from 2010-2019!  Below you'll find our favorite Fiction, Non-Fiction, Teen, and Children's books of the decade. Each list is sorted by the author's last name. Click on the book title to reserve a copy at the library!

Favorite Fiction Books of the 2010s

1. Beartown by Fredrik Backman (2016): Meet and come to know the "tough as the forest, as hard as the ice" people of Beartown. This tiny, down and out Swedish town is headed in one direction only, but the love and devotion of this small community to it's junior hockey team offers hope for better tomorrows. That is, until one violent act divides and tears them completely apart.
2. Shotgun Lovesongs by Nikolaus Butler (2016): Butler’s story is beautifully set in our own Wisconsin, with characters both flawed and familiar.
3. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (2015): A fictionalized courtship between an American college student and a British prince that feels both familiar and prophetic.
4. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (2019): A thriller with dark comedic undertones that will leave you awkwardly uncomfortable, yet secretly intrigued... What better way to spice up married life than to begin kidnapping and eventually killing young women. So begins parents Millicent and unnamed husband's path to becoming less than conventional wealthy suburbanite serial killers. A guilty pleasure to be sure.
5. The Circle by Dave Eggers (2013): Fans of dystopian fiction and technology would enjoy this  look at what could happen if too much privacy is willingly given away.
6. The Witch Elm by Tana French (2018): Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life: he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden. As detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed. A character driven, nuanced suspense/mystery.
7. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (2016): Enjoy a journey with Perdu on his floating bookshop down the Seine River. Great for any book or Paris lover.
8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2013): A sweet story of magical realism and childhood memories.
9. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (2015)
10. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018): A fun romance novel with unique heroine.
11. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (2011): I liked the early twentieth century way of life portrayed by the author, and the main character’s reaction to a tragedy that transforms his life juxtaposed with the equally changing American landscape – namely the American West.
12. The Descent by Tim Johnston (2015): This is NOT your run-of-the-mill, girl gets taken and held captive by a deranged man story... It is much, much more and you will  be riveted from beginning to end.  This is a book that is at once a page-turning story AND a quality piece of literature.
13. Crazy Rich Asians (Series) by Kevin Kwan (2013-2018): A funny and insightful look into the lives of the crazy rich and what makes them tick.
14. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014): Beautifully written, Station Eleven tells the thoughtful story of several people whose lives are unwittingly intertwined after an epidemic has decimated most of the world's population.
15. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015): For anyone who loves emerging themselves in a classic fairytale world with vivid descriptions and just this side of unrealistic events – this book was a delightful read!
16. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (2018): Merges beautiful writing with multi-layered coming of age/murder-mystery with a North Carolina marsh life story... It will not disappoint! 
17. Lila by Marilynne Robinson (2014): A graceful story of loneliness and redemption.
18. Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (2018): It was unlike anything I have read before.
19. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson (2015): There were so many twists and turns in this book - everywhere you looked, nothing was what it seemed. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book!
20. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016): It is a well-told, funny, insightful, and epic story.
21. Saga (Graphic Novel Series) by Brian K. Vaughan (2012-): The artwork of Fiona Staples in the Saga series is beautiful and the story is an emotional sci-fi rollercoaster!
22. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner (2019): Deeply moving family saga.

Favorite Non-Fiction Books of the 2010s

1. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (2016): With grace and compassion Matthew Desmond illuminates the lives of people living in poverty in Milwaukee and the nation.
2. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (2010): Unbroken was a true story that I found both heartbreaking and inspiring.
3. Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon (2014): This short, quick read merges a how-to guide with the inspiration of a self-help book (but without the cheese). Highly recommended for anyone pursuing a creative venture.
4. You Don’t Know Me but You Don’t Like Me by Nathan Rabin (2013): Think of everything you know about the bands Phish and Insane Clown Posse and get ready to rethink these two groups of fans and all the stereotypes that follow them.
5. The Rap Year Book by Shea Serrano (2015): A look at the best songs in Rap from 1979 to 2014 that reads like a course in the history of hip hop, taught by an awesome pop culture obsessed professor.
6. Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith (2018): What a wise and thoughtful book! Smith's views on how to "acquire" a less "stuffed", more cozy, comfortable and meaningful home spoke to me on such a personal level. You don't have to give up what you love, you just have to give what you love purpose and meaning.
7. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (2012)

Favorite Teen Books of the 2010s

1. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015): A gay teen love story for the ages! Albertalli shows the fears and triumphs of being gay and closeted in today’s world.
2. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2019): As a descendent of some of those [European] settlers, I found it unsettling and necessary to rethink what it means for me to live in the land of the free. Challenge accepted.
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012): This book makes you feel things so deeply, you’ll weep. Beautiful story of love and loss.
4. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (2017): An accurate and thoughtful portrayal of anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. A YA must read.
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (2010): This YA novel makes you feel as though you’re walking on the streets of Paris with Anna and Etienne. I’ve read this book THREE TIMES this decade!
6. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith (2014): Grasshopper Jungle is a weird, dystopian YA, where teenage boys unknowingly unleash giant praying mantises on the world, uncovering decades old science experiments.
7. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater (2011): Blood lusty racehorses from the sea, a down on her luck orphan trying to race to save her family, and one down on his luck horse trainer with everything to lose, the Scorpio Races is a lush tale that will stick with you long after the last page is turned. This is also an awesome audio.
8. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (2017): An orphaned librarian is on the adventure of a lifetime as he seeks out a mythical city with no name.
9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017): This book helps you to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement and how one's race affects one's life.
10. The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner (2016): Three teens, too big for their small town, struggle against the grain as they fight stereotypes and who they are supposed to be.

Favorite Children's Books of the 2010s

1. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey (2017): Mr. Wolf wants to stop being the bad guy all the time, so he starts a gang of Good Guys, and invites his friends Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha to beat their reputation. Perfect for the beginning reader with a sense of humor.
2. New Kid by Jerry Craft (2019): This graphic novel illustrates the resilience of the young African-American main character navigating two very different worlds.
3. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (2013)
4. The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt (2017): You may have played the game, but did you ever wonder why Rock, Paper and Scissors battle it out? Learn the legend of these tree brave warriors, and their quest to fight their equal.
5. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (2011)
6. The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (2018)
7. The Marvels by Brian Selznick (2015)
8. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (2010): Chicken wants a bedtime story, and Papa will tell one if only Chicken would stop interrupting. Parents and children alike will relate to this bedtime battle book.
9. We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems (2010)

The Merry Viscount by Sally MacKenzie

Title: The Merry Viscount
Author: Sally MacKenzie
Genre: Romance

It turns out this is the 2nd book in the Widow's Brew series, so if you want to start at the beginning, check out What Ales the Earl first. 

As you can probably tell from the series/title, the books are loosely organized around a group of women who brew beer. I have only read the second one, but I imagine these women find their way out of the Benevolent Home for the Maintenance and Support of Spinsters, Widows, and Abandoned Women and their Unfortunate Children a story at a time. 

This tale is set at Christmastime and focuses on Miss Caroline Anderson, brewer and seller of Widow's Brew, which helps to defray the shelter's costs. On the way back from London, Caro's coach hits bad weather and by necessity its occupants end up at the estate of the Viscount Oakland. 

The Viscount, Nick, was about to have a bawdy party when the people from a damaged coach end up on his doorstep in the middle of a storm. That's going to wreak havoc on his plans. Then he realizes that one of those stranded is none other than his old schoolmate's sister... 

What follows in this seasonal story can be counted on both the naughty and the nice list. 

- Sarah R.

Check out The Merry Viscount @ the library!