Story Tags

White Oleander book cover

Only the Strong Survive

Resilience as a defining character trait in fiction

This list came out of a reference question that I got recently -- a patron I've gotten to know over the years asked for books about people dealing with hard situations -- and doing something about them. The question bounced around in my head for a few days.  She was graciously willing to wait for an emailed list, since it was the end of the day when she asked the question...and it finally hit me. She wanted books about survivors. Not quite Robinson Crusoe, but someone who navigated the mess of the world and came out better for it.

The Joy Luck Club Book Cover

Introspective Tearjerkers

These books will hit you 'right in the feels'

Summer can be all about fun, flirty or "light" reading, but sometimes you just long for something different. There are so many novels that have heart -- they make us laugh and cry -- but the joy that comes from these authors' writing is that by making us feel so deeply about them, it makes both the illustrative content of the writer as well as our own world that much brighter. If you are looking for a different flavor - maybe something a little heavier or a book that dares to be moody - why not try these suggestions?

Countdown

Historical Home Runs

Engaging middle grade historical fiction

A lot of people are hesitant to pick up a book if it is labeled historical fiction. What they don't realize is that historical fiction is not that different from the sometimes more "glamorous" fantasy novels -- both are set in a world different from the one we know today. I find exploring different worlds, whether they are fantastical or historical, extremely interesting which is why I love both genres. What follows is a very abbreviated list of some of my favorite historical fiction titles which I believe would interest even the most reluctant historian.

Brown Girl Dreaming book cover

Your Friday Five

Stories in verse for fourth- to eighth-graders

We're wrapping up National Poetry Month, and while I've personally spent the month reveling in re-reading all of my favorite poems, I realize that not everyone loves poetry as much as I do. For some people, this disinterest -- or even distaste -- has to do with the fact that there isn't enough plot in a poem; people like a good narrative.

Mermaids in Paradise

Fiction for the Road

Books on disc that make rush hour fly

Here in D.C., we know traffic. Consistently ranking in the top 10 cities for worst traffic congestion, it is not uncommon for Washingtonians to sit in their cars for hours on end just to get to work every day.   My commute is no different, but nothing makes me forget that I'm going 5 miles per hour on I-66 along with hundreds of other cranky commuters quite as fast as a good story. So I have compiled a list of some of the more entertaining, fast-moving, dazzling plotlines that might just have you looking forward to that morning grind.  

What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

A Trip Through English History

Historical mysteries

Take a trip through England and history by reading historical mysteries set in various eras of Britain’s past. Explore the dawn of British common law in the Plantagenet era, religious upheaval in the Tudor era, the beginnings of formal police services and investigation in the Victorian era, and social change in the Edwardian era, all while trying to figure out 'whodunnit' with citizens turned sleuths.

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