Story Tags

Book jacket

Boston in Books

Boston. Beantown. Home of America's oldest university, park and subway system. But what is it like to live in such a fabled and esteemed city? The titles on this bibliography explore that question. Six novels and one memoir tell tales of racial and economic inequality that are as American as apple pie. (Please note all titles are linked to their physical copies; nearly all are also available as library ebooks via OverDrive and its app Libby.)

Ebook cover of Tom Sawyer

Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Temitope Johnson discusses the themes of slavery and superstition in one of Mark Twain's most well-known novels

Review written by Temitope Johnson, teen volunteer. 

Mysterious Affair at Styles cover

Agatha and Clive

Classic Literary Anniversaries

This month, Agatha Christie and Clive S. (C.S.) Lewis published two of their best known novels. Both of their respective novels introduced classic characters and their later novels were adapted as movies or a television series. You can check out and download these two titles from the library system.

Image of the Cover of Outbreak

Disease and Pestilence Pay a Visit

2018 was the centennial of the signing of the Armistice Agreement to end WWI and unquestionably, people who were living at that time were relieved that the war was over. After the war ended, however, there was another global threat—the Spanish Flu pandemic. Pre-Covid 19, I had assembled a couple of titles for a possible list of books that take place at the end of “the great war,” and coincided with the flu pandemic. Instead, I have here a list of five novels with a mix of health crises.

Image of The Maltese Falcon Book Cover

Listen Up!

Outstanding Audiobook Performances

I just began listening to audiobooks a couple of years ago and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed those early experiences with listening to fiction rather than reading it. I have listened to each of the titles on this list and they are among the best audio performances that I have encountered. This list is entirely subjective and gives no concern to the reputation of the individual who narrated these stories or whether or not these performances were nominated for awards. The titles on this list stood out among the audio books that I have listened to.

Chunky Books Need Love Too!

Voluminous books inspire dread and fear even among avowed book worms and other voracious readers because of their size. I am here to tell you, in the hands of a writer with a gift for storytelling, the reading of a “chunky” book can be pleasurable. This list includes no unfamiliar of obscure titles. Four of the five books I would say are in the back of the minds of many readers to make time to read Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas Pere, Victor Hugo, and of course Leo Tolstoy. I also added Ivanhoe as well by Sir Walter Scott as well.

Don Quixote

The Intimidating Book Club: Don Quixote

Intended for those who have always wanted to read that one classic novel of gargantuan proportions but never did (or didn't finish). This group will read a notoriously lengthy book widely considered a classic, section by section, and meet monthly for a one hour discussion.

Dangerous Alliance

Jane in YA

Austen Retellings for Young Adult Readers

Jane Austen is one of the most beloved, and most adapted, authors of all time. It's no wonder that every genre has had their hand in Jane Austen adaptations--from literary sequels, contemporary retellings, murder mysteries, to young adult fiction. Today, I want to look at six great young adult retellings of Austen's novels that are perfect for teen readers or older readers who are looking for new ways to access old favorites. 

The Catcher in the Rye

We Didn't Start the Fire

Literature Mentioned in Billy Joel's Song

In 1989, musician Billy Joel released, "We Didn't Start the Fire," a song listing some of the most important headlines from his forty years of life up to that point, creating a snapshot of a large portion of the twentieth century.

Behind a Mask

Louisa May Alcott

For When You've Read Little Women 50 Times

Louisa May Alcott’s timeless, classic novel about four sisters coming of age during the Civil War has endured for over 150 years now. Little Women itself has been adapted to film, to graphic novel, reimagined in a modern setting, and inverted in new ways. That has inspired many to explore the other stories and novels of the beloved author, who never imagined she would become known as a children’s author. 

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