Staff Picks – June 2021

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer

It’s a book club born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members are discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island. Juliet Ashton, a London writer, converses in letters with the Society’s members, learning about their lives, their island, their taste in books, and the impact that the recent German occupation has had on all of them. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail to meet these people with whom she has found connection.

This audiobook is also available digitally with the Libby App.

Gardening 101
by Martha Stewart Living

“More than two hundred full-color photographs complement a collection of individual lessons that offer a step-by-step guide to the gardening process, covering everything from selecting the right plants for your garden and designing a landscape to caring for different types of plants, choosing garden accessories and equipment, and more.” – Google Books

Winnie-the-Pooh (80th Anniversary Edition)
by A. A. Milne

“The adventures of Pooh and Piglet, Kanga and tiny Roo, Owl, Rabbit, and the ever doleful Eeyore are timeless treasures of childhood. In this beautiful edition of Winnie-the-Pooh, each of Ernest H. Shepard’s beloved original illustrations has been meticulously hand painted. Bright in color and elegant in design, this lovely volume of Milne’s classic tales welcomes friends old and new into the most enchanted of places, the Hundred Acre Wood.” – Amazon

Grayson
by Lynne Cox

It was the dark of early morning; seventeen-year-old Lynne Cox was swimming her last half mile back to the pier after a long workout when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; whatever it was felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body. In fact, it was a baby gray whale. Lynne quickly realized that if she swam back to the pier, the young calf would follow her to shore and die from collapsed lungs. On the other hand, if Lynne didn’t find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death. Something so enormous—the mother whale would be at least fifty feet long—suddenly seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. This is the story—part mystery, part magical tale—of what happened.

A Special Day With Dad
by Natalie Shaw

“When Mom takes Baby William to see Ian’s soccer game, Olivia and Dad get to spend the whole day together! What can they do on their special day to make it especially special? For Olivia and Dad, the answer may be closer than they think!” – Amazon

Slow Horses
by Mick Herron

“London, England: Slough House is where washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what’s left of their failed careers. The “slow horses,” as they’re called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated there. Maybe they botched an Op so badly they can’t be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle -not unusual in this line of work. One thing they have in common, though, is they want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there – even if it means having to collaborate with one another. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, the slow horses see an opportunity to redeem themselves. But is the victim really who he appears to be?” – Amazon

Channel Kindness
by Born This Way Foundation Reporters with Lady Gaga

One small act of kindness can change the world. Lady Gaga has always believed in the importance celebrating individuality, acting with empathy, and being kind to yourself and other. She and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, founded Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the world a kinder and braver place. Within these pages you will meet young change makers who found their inner strength, who prevailed in the face of bullies, who started their own social movements, who decided to break through the mental health stigma and share how they felt, who created safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and who have embraced kindness with every fiber of their being by helping others without the expectation of anything in return. 

The Bee-Friendly Garden
by Kate Frey and Gretchen LeBuhn

Frey and LeBuhn provide everything you need to know to create a vibrant, healthy garden that helps both the threatened honeybee and native bees. Just a few simple changes to your garden will make your yard a welcoming habitat for nature’s most productive pollinator.

The Drought-Defying California Garden
by Greg Rubin and Lucy Warren

 In recent years California has been facing extreme drought, and in 2015 they passed state-wide water restrictions that affect home owners. Unfortunately the drought is only going to get worse, and gardeners who aren’t willing to abandon their beloved pastime entirely are going to have to learn how to garden with the absolute minimum of water. The Drought-Defying California Garden offers gardeners in the Golden State everything they need to get started on a new type of garden. They highlight the best 230 plants to grow, share advice on how to get them established, and offer tips on how to maintain them with the minimum amount of water. All of the plants are native to California-making them uniquely adept at managing the harsh climate-and include perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees, and succulents.