Staff Picks

Recommendations from staff members at the Trumbull Library System.

Updated April 10, 2024
T
Trumbull Library System
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When books went to war :
Manning, Molly Guptill,
Paper Book
When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned over 100 million books and caused fearful citizens to hide or destroy many more. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations....
This was an accidental find, and those are often the most rewarding. I was completely unaware of the wonderful joint efforts of libraries, the US Government and the publishing industry to bring small paperbacks to troops all over the world, and how much the soldiers treasured these books. - Zdena
West with giraffes : a novel
Rutledge, Lynda 1950-
Paper Book
An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..." Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But...

Although many of the characters and events are fictional, the giraffes and their journey across the United States in 1938 in a small truck on small roads through small towns with their head sticking out for all to see, is completely real. I still can't get that wondrous image out of my head. - Zdena

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution :
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War   "Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial...

The author writes with such clarity and eloquence. - Paula

Birnam Wood /
Catton, Eleanor,
Paper Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time, Financial Times, Slate, The Chicago Public Library, Kirkus, The TelegraphA...
The name of the wind
Rothfuss, Patrick 1973-
Paper Book
Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss' epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. "I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss." --Lin-Manuel Miranda   OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD! DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND ...

This is the first book in the King Killer Chronicle. The story introduces the main characters, who all have interesting back stories and talents. - Keith

Cursed Princess Club. 1
LambCat
Paper Book
2024 Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List selection, STARRED title Just because you're cursed doesn't mean you're not special. Gwendolyn, the youngest of the King's three daughters, is living proof that princesses don't always have it all. She isn't like a typical fairy-tale...

This is a great story about self confidence and body positivity, with an additional focus on strong familial bonds and friendships that I would recommend anyone of any age to pick up and read. - Chelsie

Are you listening? /
Walden, Tillie,
Paper Book
The graphic novel Are You Listening? is an intimate and emotionally soaring story about friendship, grief, and healing from Eisner Award winner Tillie Walden. Bea is on the run. And then, she runs into Lou. This chance encounter sends them on a journey...

A masterful odyssey of self -discovery with internal monologues and dialogues that compliment the dynamic; and at times, experimental art. - Willy

Strange Sally Diamond /
Nugent, Liz.
Paper Book
"Shocking, disturbing, and utterly original." --Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author This "haunting and poignant tale, one that won't be easy to forget any time soon" (Mystery and Suspense Magazine), follows an enigmatic woman confronting...

An exceptional, unsettling novel that will evoke strong emotions. - Elise

Fourth wing /
Yarros, Rebecca.
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestseller * TV series in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society * Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 * Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 * Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 * NPR "Books We Love" 2023 * Audible Best Books of...

An exciting tale of a war college filled with intrigue, romance, magic and lots of dragons. - Zdena

This book is exciting, tense, unpredictable, and full of dragons! - Elise

East of Eden
Steinbeck, John 1902-1968
Paper Book
In his journal, John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families-the...

An incredible tale of two families whose generational journeys represent the story of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel respectively. The author explores Fate, forgiveness, prejudice, and original sin against the backdrop of the ever evolving Salinas Valley, California. This was my favorite read of the past year. - Willy

Check & mate /
Hazelwood, Ali.
Paper Book
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life's moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart. Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays;...

Super cute YA romance book with a relatable protagonist. - Katie

Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries
Fawcett, Heather (Heather M.)
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north in this "incredibly fun journey through fae lands and dark magic" (NPR), the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. "A darkly gorgeous...

Whimsical and "cottagecore-esque." - Katie


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