Staff Picks open new doors
Library workers offer book suggestions
I love to read. You probably think that since I work in a library, that I get to read books all day. Let me take this opportunity to dispel that myth.
Library workers are far too busy serving the public to have time to read during work hours. However, we do tend to be avid readers and we are able to view lots of books during the course of our day.
One of my favourite displays at the McConnell Library in Sydney is the Staff Picks bookshelf, which I always check when I am looking for something new to read.
Being around lots of other readers gives you the opportunity to learn about books that you might not necessarily have noticed without the suggestion.
A great benefit of the Staff Picks shelf is that you know someone really enjoyed. Also, you get to choose books that are outside your normal reading lists. When I’m choosing a book, I tend to look for the same types of books, mostly mysteries, some fantasy and science fiction, and Canadian fiction. The Staff Picks shelf opens up new possibilities.
The Staff Picks shelf, which is located on the circulation desk, holds books of all genres. You might see mysteries or romance, biographies or cookbooks, fantasy or dramas.
On a recent review of this shelf, I came across some that caught my interest.
“Thomas: A Secret Life” by A.J.B. Johnston is the first of a series of three historical fiction books based on the life of Thomas Pichon.
Johnston is a well-known historian who has written extensively on Louisbourg and its history. I’m looking forward to learning more about that time period and Pichon, through fiction.
“Paula Spencer” by Roddy Doyle caught my eye on the shelf. This book tells the story of a woman who has lived in an abusive relationship, is struggling to overcome addictions and is finding a new way to live in the world.
Doyle is the Irish writer who I know best as the author of “The Commitments,” “The Snapper” and “The Van,” which were all made into movies in the 1990s that I really enjoyed.
I expect this book, like many good Irish books, will mix laughter and pain.
“Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” by Therese Anne Fowler, re-imagines the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, as she might have told it. From the Jazz Age through the Depression, this story follows the lives of the infamous Fitzgeralds and their lives together.
These are just a few of the books from the Staff Picks shelf at the McConnell Library.
If you can’t get into the library, you can check out staff picks virtually by going to the library’s Pinterest page at www.pinterest.com/cbrlpinterest/.
There you will find more than 70 collections of book suggestions, from cookbooks to decorating books, travel books to classic sci-fi. There are suggestions for books that are similar to “Girl on a Train” or books that have won various awards.
All books listed are available for borrowing from the Cape Breton Regional Library. You can place a hold on the books and they will be delivered to your library branch. Happy reading!