Spending too much pandemic time binging CSI, Law & Order, or My Favorite Murder? Your predilections owe a debt to a Gilded Age heiress with a high school diploma and a penchant for science and medicine. Frances Glessner Lee is the grandmother of modern forensics. This is her story.
 

Kaite Stover, Readers' Services

SIGNATURE EVENT
Watch video from Bruce Goldfarb’s virtual Library presentation on May 19, 2020. Event Details | Event Video

This book examines a great many “why” questions - why racism is still such a hot-button issue 30 years into "colorblind" America, why the promises of the Civil Rights era seem to have largely been broken, and why change is so critical at this moment.  
 

Matthew Scrivner, Waldo Branch

I really enjoyed the art of this book -- regardless of the topic, the art made me smile a lot. Feder has a talent for finding the funny, even in a dark time.
 

Alisha H., Central Library, OneNorth Technology Center

Jollett, a writer and frontman for the band Airborne Toxic Event, recalls his dramatic childhood in this memoir. Beginning with his family's escape from a cult, he navigates poverty, drugs, a mercurial older brother, a mother struggling with mental and emotional problems, and many other challenges. He finds solace in music and words while seeking a steady relationship with his father. A compelling story of family, self-discovery, reflection, and forgiveness.
 

Andy Dandino, Public Affairs

This book contains so many fascinating tidbits of information! It is a must-read for people who have lived here all their lives, as well as newcomers who want to learn fun facts about our wonderful city. It would be a great resource for a scavenger hunt.
 

Diana Ash, North-East Branch

SIGNATURE EVENT
Watch video from Anne Kniggendorf’s virtual Library presentation on December 10, 2020. Event Details | Event Video

You know those books so powerful that you don't really know how describe them to someone in a way that does them any justice? This is one of them. It so thoughtfully and insightfully presents different styles of feminism, the experiences of poverty, and the power of owning your own image. It is the best thing I read in 2020. Sarah Smarsh knocked it out of the park!
 

Kim Gile, Community Reference

I love how the authors bring this "not a history book" to life for younger readers. When you read it, you won't be memorizing names and dates, but you will remember the real-life stories, how they continue to impact your world, and what you can do to make a difference.
 

Jenny G., Community Reference

A 9.2-magnitude earthquake hit Anchorage, Alaska, on Good Friday in 1964, upending the lives of the then-young city. In the aftermath of the disaster, local reporter Genie Chance became a pivotal figure in the community's response, reading messages on air and even coordinating reports among emergency responders. Mooallem takes a unique approach in telling this story, drawing in anecdotes and glimpses of the lives of the people of Anchorage not only during the catastrophe but also over the span of years. A fascinating tale of coping with disaster and the importance of community.
 

Andy Dandino, Public Affairs

I snatched up this bestselling memoir after my life coach and several friends repeatedly, and with great enthusiasm, told me, "You have to read this!" Now that I've read it (twice), I've been gifting it to friends, following the author on Instagram, and generally fan-girling in every possible way. Glennon Doyle captures in gorgeous narrative her experience reprogramming all of the beliefs, messages, and "shoulds" she received from her family, her religion, and the media growing up, discovering her true, wild, untamed self. This motivational speaker, activist, and feminist tells her story with unabashed honesty while simultaneously motivating her readers to make their own brave strides to uncover their most untamed, authentic, and joyful selves.
 

Alli Bernskoetter, Central Youth Services

Author Traci Sorell, a Cherokee Nation citizen, is a culture keeper who shares the wonderful teachings of gratitude for all people. This digital copy is accessible on OverDrive and offers narration in the Cherokee language.
 

Cindy Hohl, Library Services

Very informative book. Loved reading of the strong women who make this country!
 

Angie H., Trails West Branch / Trail Blazers Book Group

After all these years, The Princess Bride is still a quotable, meme-able, enjoyable classic. Just like the movie, this is a book full of nostalgia, humor, adventure, love, and surprises. I found it to be the perfect thing to distract me from the pit of despair that is 2020! Bonus: Wesley himself reads the audiobook version ... swoon!
 

Kim Gile, Community Reference

Ibram X. Kendi writes powerfully about racism, how it affects each of us, and what we can do. "The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities," he says. "We can be a racist one minute and an antiracist the next. What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what - not who - we are."
 

Jenny G., Community Reference

This came out in 2018, mere months before the surprising arrest of the now convicted Golden State Killer. Joseph James DeAngelo was sentenced that August, reigniting my interest in the case and prompting me to finally read this moving investigation of the case. McNamara, who died tragically before the book could be published, is credited for keeping interest in the case alive, and the book was made into a documentary this summer.
 

Diana Platt, Collection Development

A real-world sleuth, Michelle McNamara, helps puzzle-piece together a complicated string of West Coast murder cases that remained unsolved and eluded police authorities for literally decades. A fascinating story on multiple levels - as an actual true crime investigation and a moving story about a journalist (the author) who is truly passionate about true crime investigation.
 

Buddy Hanson, Waldo Branch

I wanted to learn the back story of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and his muse. This was a very dark, toxic love story and definitely gives an in-depth look at some of the pieces he created.
 

Karla, Central Library, OneNorth Technology Center

Interesting and heartbreaking all at once – a true story of courage and strength.
 

Carrie Coogan, Deputy Director, Public Affairs

SIGNATURE EVENT
Author Michael Kranish visited the Library in August 2019; listen to audio from his presentation. Event Details | Event Audio