What to read next? Ask Nancy Pearl

Librarians are frequently asked the question, "What's a good book?" or "I really liked this book; what should I read next?" If you are one of those ravenous readers always on the prowl for the next good book, we have some good news for you. Each month you can receive in your email the latest selection of recommended reads from Nancy Pearl. You can also browse lists from the previous months on our archive page.

Who is Nancy Pearl? The New York Times calls her "the talk of librarian circles." Readers can't get enough of her recommendations while bookstores and libraries offer standing room only whenever she visits. She is a former librarian and bookseller and has been in love with books from a very young age. She has a monthly television program in Seattle, and is a regular commentator about books on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” The library owns 3 of her books, Book Lust, More Book Lust, and Book Crush (for kids and teens). You can read a lot more about Nancy at her website, http://www.nancypearl.com/.

Each month the library will receive 12 book recommendations from Nancy Pearl. You can view the most current list on the library's website by clicking on Pearl's Picks. You can also have the list delivered to you via email by signing up with our NextReads service. The library may or may not own all of the books recommended by Nancy Pearl. If there is a book that you would like to read that we do not own, please request the book by phone (826-3712), in person, or online.

Here's a sample:

Whatever Makes You Happy, by William Sutcliffe

Is there any phrase, when spoken by a parent to a child, more potentially ambiguous than "whatever makes you happy"? It could be taken as a straightforward expression of the wish for your happiness. And isn't that a sentiment that we all want from our parents? But it could also have a subtext: "Of course, I only want for you whatever makes you happy, but I know better than you what that is, so if you'd just do what I want you'll be happy. I'm sure of it." That latter sentiment (thinly veiled as the former) is the metaphorical engine driving the entertaining plot of William Sutcliffe's Whatever Makes You Happy. Carol, Helen, and Gillian, who have been friends since their sons were babes in arms, share similar frustrations with their now 34-year-old offspring. These stalwart young men are not only not married (and, therefore, offer no prospect of grandchildren), but they seldom bother to call (not even for the de rigueur holidays, like Mother's Day), they're not interested in sharing their experiences, and, since each left home, not one has ever expressed any interest whatsoever in a nice long visit from their mothers. So the three moms decide to take matters into their own hands: each one–with no advance warning–will drop in on her son for a week's stay, or at least until she's finally come to understand her son's choices and decisions. Naturally, the unexpected arrival (and protracted visit) of their mothers means there are radical changes ahead for Paul, Matt, and Daniel. Both mothers and sons (and even fathers and daughters) will enjoy this often hilarious tale (there's a wonderful scene at a cocktail party that I still chuckle over), in which Sutcliffe reaffirms the central place that mothers and sons have in each other's lives.