BPL Staff Picks: March 2025Like this list

19 items

• A Memory Called Empire

  Martine, Arkady

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  Science Fiction. I'm an absolute sucker for stories that are kind of riffing on ancient Rome, which this one is but in a way that I didn't quite expect. If you have thoughts about cultural imperialism, and what it means to love the art of a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mamo

  Milledge, Sas,

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  Teen Graphic Novel. I thought this book had a lot of interesting things to say about hometowns, and the kinds of people who never leave them vs. the ones desperate to get away and never look back. It also looks at familial responsibility and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Family Roe

  An American Story

  Prager, Joshua

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  Nonfiction. I knew a lot about the landmark 1973 trial of Roe v. Wade, but I was pretty ignorant about the woman at the center of the case, Jane Roe. Turns out that this was a pseudonym for Norma McCorvey, a Texas woman who was unable to care for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Thorn

  Khanani, Intisar,

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  Teen Fantasy. I love a good retelling, and this take on "The Goose Girl" is exactly that! Khanani takes the familiar story of a princess forced to switch identities with a servant and makes it compelling thanks to strong world building and complex…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Shall Be Monsters

  a Novel

  Wees, Alyssa,

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  Fantasy. This book's cover caught my eye. While I rarely read fantasy, I thought I would give this one a try. And I'm glad I did! I was brought into a world of fairies, witches, and mysterious woods. Young Gemma's quest to save her mother and break…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Memories of Distant Mountains

  Illustrated Notebooks, 2009-2022

  Pamuk, Orhan, 1952-

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  Nonfiction. I picked up this book by chance and found myself delighted and inspired by Pamuk's brightly painted diary pages. It was just the pick-me-up I needed for my own creative practice. - Jessica C., Central Library

• Walk the Blue Fields

  Keegan, Claire

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  Short Stories. I loved these quiet and haunting stories from Keegan, set in contemporary rural Ireland, focusing on themes of family, love, and loss. Her writing makes you feel it all: joy, sadness, grief, loss, and more. - Liz B., Fields Corner…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat. 1

  Yuzaki, Sakaomi,

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  Manga. This sweet, wholesome manga is all about food as a love language, and I adored it! It's cozy, funny, and still manages to address important topics like misogyny, food-related trauma, and homophobia in a thoughtful, nuanced way. Plus, it's so…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everything We Never Had

  Ribay, Randy,

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  Teen Fiction. I didn't think I liked family sagas, but this proved me wrong! It follows four Filipino American boys from the same family when each one is sixteen, from the Watsonville Riots in 1930 to the outbreak of COVID in 2020. Ribay gives each…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dearest

  a Novel

  Walters, Jacquie,

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  Horror. A compelling tale about new motherhood, loneliness, mental illness, ghosts, and paranoia. As Flora spends her days in isolation, she starts to feel she's losing her grip on reality. Did her mother just visit, or was it all in her mind? I…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Wonder Drug

  The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims

  Vanderbes, Jennifer

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  Nonfiction. This was a fascinating and horrifying read about the true story behind thalidomide. Contrary to heavily publicized belief, the medication was handed out across America, as part of intense sales pushes masquerading as "clinical trials."…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Disability History of the United States

  Nielsen, Kim E.

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  Nonfiction. I love the ReVisioning American History series. Readers may be surprised at how poignant and relevant the content of the book is to current events in America. Excellent writing makes it an easy read. - Karie S, Central Library

• Detective Beans & the Case of the Missing Hat

  Chen, Li, 1986-

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  Children's Graphic Novel. I loved exploring the town with Detective Beans hunting for his missing hat and meeting all kinds of wacky characters along the way! On top of that, the illustrations are adorable and the characters are hilarious! - Amy B.,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Daring to Drive

  a Saudi Woman's Awakening

  Sharif, Manal, 1979-

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  Memoir. This is an honest and intimate look at the world of women inside Saudi Arabia. It goes beyond the need for women to be able to drive within their own country and shows what it was like for al-Sharif to grow up there, go to school, get a job,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Made It Out of Clay

  Kander, Beth,

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  Fiction. I love this book for how poignant yet hilarious it is. Eve has seen better days: her job is laying people off right before the holidays, her father died last year and the family doesn't seem to be talking about it, and her internet-famous…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Elizabeth & Margaret

  The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters

  Morton, Andrew

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  Biography. Events in Princess Margaret's life are frequently sensationalized and inaccurately told from heavily biased vantages. Morton presents the facts and nuances and when commenting on them he does so in a more objective way than almost any…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We All Play

  Kimêtawânaw

  Flett, Julie,

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  Children's Picture Book. Spring starts this month, and this Indigenous picture book is the perfect way to celebrate playing outside! The children jumping, swimming, rolling, and more alongside animal friends will make you eager to get outdoors. -…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sour Apple

  Liu, Linda (Illustrator),

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  Children's Picture Book. I did not expect to get emotional over a book about a sour apple, but what an analogy for life! We can all relate to that yucky feeling of being picked last (or not at all!) I actually loved the passionate indignation of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rooftoppers

  Rundell, Katherine

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  Children's Fiction. A heartwarming story about found family for the oddballs and the free thinkers. - Nicole R., South Boston Branch Library