Reading Room Blog
What if you could go back and fix one mistake in your life? That's the premise of Seconds. Bryan Lee O'Malley's follow-up to his graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim seamlessly blends fantastical themes with realistic internal conflict.
This readalike is in response to a customer's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids. You can browse the book matches here.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Robert Langdon receives an invitation to give a lecture in Washington, DC, but discovers an empty chamber when he arrives at the venue. He quickly learns that he's been summoned for his knowledge rather than his oratory skills and that his friend Peter Solomon has been abducted. To save his life, Langdon must follow a set of clues and uncover a treasure hidden somewhere in the nation's capitol. (Library Journal)
If you like The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, you may also like the following titles:
Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro
A fire at the Turin cathedral and the discovery of a mutilated corpse are the latest in a disturbing series of events surrounding the mysterious cloth millions believe to be the authentic burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Those who dare to investigate will be caught in the cross fire of an ancient conflict forged by mortal sacrifice, assassination, and secret societies tied to the shadowy Knights Templar. Spanning centuries and continents, from the storm-rent skies over Calvary, through the intrigue and treachery of Byzantium and the Crusades, to the modern-day citadels of Istanbul, New York, London, Paris, and Rome,The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroudraces to a chilling climax in the labyrinths beneath Turin, where astounding truths will be exposed: about the history of a faith, the passions of man, and proof of the most powerful miracle of all...(catalog summary)
The Confessor by Daniel Silva
In Munich, a Jewish scholar is assassinated. In Venice, Mossad agent and art restorer Gabriel Allon receives the news, puts down his brushes, and leaves immediately. And at the Vatican, the new pope vows to uncover the truth about the church's response to the Holocaust-while a powerful cardinal plots his next move. (catalog summary)
March: Book One is the beautifully constructed graphic novel biography of Civil Rights activist and Congressman John Lewis. Relying only on black and white imagery, it is quiet in its form and presentation. Lewis' struggle of growing up in the Deep South, fighting to go to college, and helping to organize lunch counter sit-ins speaks volumes and needs no distraction.
This readalike is in response to a customer's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you. Available for adults, teens, and kids. You can browse the book matches here.
The Beach House by Jane Green: "The long-widowed Nan enjoys her dotty solitude at her Nantucket home-until the money dips too low and she must advertise for paying summer guests, a move that brings her back into life's mainstream." (Library Journal)
If you enjoyed The Beach House, here are some other books you may also like:
The House on Mermaid Point by Wendy Wax
Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another--perhaps all too well--while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they're putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn't have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies--although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie's wildest fantasy once . . . Rock-and-roll legend "William the Wild" Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he's still worshiped by fans--which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys.
Moon Shell Beach by Nancy Thayer
Lexi Laney and Clare Hart grew up together swimming in the surf, riding remote bike trails, and having wondrous adventures across picturesque Nantucket. And when it was time to share intimate secrets and let their girlish imaginations run free, they escaped to their magical private hideaway: Moon Shell Beach.
Random Access Memories might have won Daft Punk their first Album-of-the-Year Grammy, but for fans of the group, the album seemed more like a victory lap than anything else. A demonstration that the French duo can do whatever and work with whomever they want.
Whom they apparently wanted to work with most was Nile Rodgers, the musician who revolutionized 1970s dance music with his band Chic and is at least partially responsible for hits by Diana Ross, David Bowie, and many more.
How can a man maintain stability and order in a city where volatile race relations are about to boil over? In Thud! an installment of Terry Pratchett’s long-running Discworld series, Commander Vimes of the City Watch must deal with the erupting tensions between trolls and dwarves following the unexplained death of Hamcrusher, a high-ranking dwarf. Like most of Pratchett’s entries in this series, the humor in Thud! is self-contained and does not require knowledge of prior novels. It offers a mixture of satire of fantasy tropes with real-world issues and conflicts. Reliant on verbal humor and character development, the book is a good choice for fans of British genre satire such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
I spied Ant Colony from about fifty feet away and knew that I had to at least give it a try. Regardless of what its pages contained, I knew there was something special about a book with such a bizarre cover. Bright colors meld with violently jagged edges over an inconspicuous ant hill, hinting at a darkness lurking beneath. I was not wrong.
"Stepping in a rhythm to a Kurtis Blow.
Who needs to think when your feet just go?"
Tom Tom Club - The Genius of Love
Ed Piskor cannot rap or dance. He is no good with turntables or sampling. What Piskor can do is draw, which is why Hip Hop Family Tree is such an important testament to honoring the innovators and pioneers of the culture.
Modern Vampires of the City is perhaps the catchiest, most joyous-sounding album to explore death that I have ever heard. The third release from collegiate prep rockers Vampire Weekend shows emotional and musical growth as lead singer Ezra Koening struggles with his own mortality.
You're All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, by Tom Gauld, is to literature and history what Gary Larson's The Far Side is to biology and beehive hairdos. Gauld takes on Dickens and Shakespeare with whimsical glee. He muses on the creativity of artists and writers while conjuring ridiculous asides.
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