- May 2, 2024
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There’s no better way to beat the heat than with a good book and a little air conditioning, but with a dizzying array of new releases it’s hard to keep up with all the books worth your time.
Thankfully, the Longboat Library has a group of passionate volunteers willing to help readers sort through the stacks and find good reads for every appetite and imagination.
With help from her fellow Longboat library volunteers, Barb Torrence assembled the following list of picks from recent fiction and nonfiction releases to suit almost any taste. The Longboat Key Library, on average, purchases 25 new books plucked from top book lists and member suggestions each month, said Torrence, so whether you’re looking for a beach read, some thought-provoking literature, or a historical adventure, chances are the Longboat Library has a fresh read just for you.
Torrence said this bestselling novel translated from the French was one of the best books she’s read of late.
“It’s about a woman who is a caretaker at a cemetery and how she gets involved in the lives of the people who visit the cemetery,” Torrence said. “There’s a lot of sadness, but she also finds joy.”
Through her encounters as a caretaker with the living and the dead, Violette discovers the power of love and resilience.
Torrence praised the lyrical writing style and language of the book along with its handling of the relationships among the characters.
Torrence suggested this novel for its musical connections, treatment of issues of prejudice and mystery plot.
In this well-reviewed page-turner, Ray McMillian, a talented Black violinist, learns that the battered fiddle passed down through his family is actually a priceless Stradivarius. With that rare instrument, he sees a chance to fulfill his classical music ambitions. But on the eve of a prestigious competition, the violin is stolen. Ray embarks on a desperate quest to recover it, determined to prove his worth as a musician.
Astrophysicist and science commentator Neil DeGrasse Tyson brings a scientific perspective to heady topics such as war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender and race. Tyson emphasizes the importance of the rationality of science in addressing the polarization that afflicts discussion of these issues. As always, Tyson writes in a clear and accessible manner as he reminds readers of our place in the universe.
The author of “The Lost City of Z” and “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” turns his nonfiction talents to a real-life story of survival at sea in “The Wager.”
“It has great reviews,” said Torrence.
In 1740, the HMS Wager left England chasing a Spanish galleon carrying gold. In 1742, 30 members of the HMS Wager’s crew washed ashore on a makeshift boat. They were barely alive. Their story of survival made them heroes. But six months later, three more men from the HMS Wager sailing another makeshift vessel made it to the coast of Chile. They had a different story to tell. One of mutiny and murder.
Torrence recommended this Oprah’s Book Club Selection based on her reading of Verghese’s 2008 novel, “Cutting for Stone,” a bestseller that sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. according to publisher Grove Atlantic. "The Covenant of Water" is set in India and tells the story of multiple generations of a family in which in each generation at least one person drowns.
As you might expect, it’s definitely not a beach read, explained Torrence.
Torrence said this fun novel about a woman who teaches chemistry through cooking is one of
the library’s most requested books and is almost always checked out. Due to the popularity of this New York Times No. 1 Bestseller, the library has ordered multiple copies and a couple library members purchased their own copies.
It’s the 1960s in America. Elizabeth Zott just wanted to be a research scientist, but after she loses her temper, she eventually finds herself (reluctantly) hosting a wildly popular cooking show.
One of the most popular books at the Longboat Library, this tale of a Great Depression-era journey across the U.S. weaves historical figures together with fictional ones. Inspired by actual events and set in 1938, “West with Giraffes” follows the adventures of two men tasked with transporting a pair of giraffes from New York to the San Diego Zoo.
