Bibliophiles share favorite books, authors
OCEAN CITY — Winter is a good time to find the warmth that comes from walking into a library, where thousands of choices are at your fingertips.
Getting lost in a book has been my favorite pastime since I was a kid. Fifth grade brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Ring” series. Hard to believe there was a time I could keep all those names, places, languages and creatures straight.
My mother would take us to the library, where we would spend hours in the stacks. It was a great free pastime but felt like someone let us into a bank vault filled with treasures. I read every book I could find on World War II, learning what it was like to be inside a tank at the Battle of the Bulge, in a B-17 Flying Fortress besieged by Messerschmitt 109s and flak over Germany, pinned down on the black sands of Iwo Jima, being on a battleship in the Leyte Gulf or in a landing craft heading to the beach on D-Day.
When I was young, I would binge subjects. As I got into high school, I began to binge on authors, a habit I have not been able to break. One book can get me hooked — Kurt Vonnegut with “Slaughterhouse Five,” Stephen King, “The Shining”; Alice Walker, “The Color Purple”; cyberpunk author William Gibson, “Mona Lisa Overdrive”; Annie Proulx, “The Shipping News”; Haruki Murakami, “1Q84”; Cixin Liu, “The Three-Body Problem”; sci-fi short stories by Ken Liu; Walter Mosley’s “Easy Rawlins” mysteries; James McBride, “Deacon King Kong”; Hanya Yanagihara, “The People in the Trees.” (I want to list so many more because thinking of each author brings back the joy of reading their books.)
I start with one book and am compelled to find more by the same author.
Although my reading list is long, better suggestions come from people who live and breathe books — the staff at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
I wanted to know what books or authors they recommend for winter reading. It was a good and bad idea: good because of the great suggestions and bad because it made my reading list even longer.
Here are some suggestions from people who get to work in my favorite place on Earth: a library. (Yes, I would be Burgess Meredith’s character in that “Twilight Zone” episode about being the last person on the planet with all the time in the world to read. I would find extra reading glasses first.)
“The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder”
“One of my favorite books right now is ‘The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder’ by David Grann. “The Wager” is a nonfiction book about a British ship that set sail on a secret mission to track down and capture a Spanish treasure-filled galleon in 1740 during an Imperial War with Spain.
“After rounding the Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, the ship had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia, where the crew struggled to survive and return home.
“I love ‘The Wager’ because it is so hard to put down once you start. David Grann has a way of writing nonfiction that grabs your attention and keeps you engaged as if it’s fiction. If you’ve ever wondered what life was like on the seas at this time in history, this book does an incredible job. By the end, you won’t even believe the story is true.”
— Kyle Stanley, IT Department
“The Fury”
“I just finished reading ‘The Fury’ by Alex Michaelides. This is his third book and it’s a murder mystery.
“It takes place on a Greek island and tells the story of a group of friends who go away for the weekend and their host, Lana, is murdered. Lana is a famous actress and there is definitely more than one person who would like to see her dead.
“It’s a fast read and keeps you guessing until the twist at the end.”
— Meghan Mangel, Circulation Staff
Authors with long-running series
“As a lifetime reader, it’s hard to pin down either a favorite book or author. I tend to enjoy long-running series with complex characters.
“It doesn’t hurt if there’s an element of romance and/or mystery. A few of my favorites are: Michael Connelly’s ‘Harry Bosch,’ David Baldacci’s ‘Memory Man’ and Suzanne Brockmann’s ‘Troubleshooters.’”
— Pat Brown, Reference Librarian
“The Pine Barrens”
“My favorite book in our collection is ‘The Pine Barrens’ by John McPhee.
“It is a relatively quick and definitely enlightening and engaging read about the nature and culture of the Pine Barrens. It was recommended to me and I have and will continue to recommend it to others.”
— Gabriella Verducci, Circulation Desk
“She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat”
“I would recommend ‘She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat.’ It’s a cute story at the surface and it has great LGBTQIA+ representation.
“The themes of found family, how society views women and later mentions of eating disorders give a deeper meaning to this lighthearted slice of life. It’s an ongoing series and I look forward to seeing the main characters develop even more.
“I enjoy it for all the above; it gives me a warm feeling to feel so seen in a form of media. Even if these underlying themes don’t resonate with you (the reader), it’s a very wholesome and entertaining story.”
— Jade Green, Circulation Desk
“The Shadows of the Wind”
“One of my favorite books that we have here at the library is ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
“Set in 1945 Barcelona, the son of a rare book seller finds a book that he reads and falls in love with. When he tries to find more books by the author, he discovers there is a mysterious figure seeking out and destroying everything he’s ever written, plunging him into a years-long mystery full of twists and turns to figure out why.
“This book captured my attention within the first few pages and I could not put it down. For readers looking for a beautifully written, atmospheric mystery with delightful characters, look no further!”
– Patty Miraglilo, Circulation Desk
Author Daniel Silva
“I have worked at the library for over 22 years, most of the time at the circulation desk, and have enjoyed the interaction between staff and patrons. I started there at the age of 58 and consider it my dream job, having always loved reading.
“I’ve decided to go with a favorite author as I enjoy many genres and it would be hard to pick just one. The author is Daniel Silva and my reasons for picking him are that he covers many subjects in what can only be considered, at least by me, as page-turners.
“His main protagonist is an Israeli art restorer who is also an espionage agent. So we have not only an exciting espionage story but also very interesting views into the world of art restoration, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Also whilst I am reading his latest novel I have the uncanny feeling that he has some kind of direct link to the CIA, as his subjects are always very timely.”
– Pauline Brady, Circulation Desk
Author/Illustrator Chris Van Allsburg
“I very much enjoy author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg’s stories and illustrations. They often have bit of magic in them and the illustrations are gripping, surreal and beautiful in an occasionally stark way.
“My favorite is probably ‘The Widow’s Broom’ (featuring) a witch, a widow and a broom that can plink out a few keys on the piano. It is a very delightful little book.”
– Cathy McGlaughlin, Circulation Desk
Head to your local library
Our local communities are blessed with wonderful libraries. As reading aficionados know, libraries are close by. If you haven’t been there lately, a winter day is a good time to get reacquainted and a reminder to visit year-round. The friendly staffs will be glad to help. If you need directions, here you go:
— Ocean City Free Public Library, Ocean City Community Center, 1735 Simpson Ave.
— Somers Point Branch, Atlantic County Library System, 801 Shore Road, Somers Point (atlanticlibrary.org).
— Upper Township Branch, Cape May County Library System, 2050 Rt. 631, Petersburg (cmclibrary.org);
— Sea Isle City branch, Cape May County Library System, 4800 Central Ave., Sea Isle City (cmclibrary.org);
— The Schiavo Library, 801 Commonwealth Ave., Strathmere;
— Linwood Public Library, 301 Davis Ave., Linwood (linwoodlibrary.org);
— Otto Bruyns Public Library, 241 W. Mill Road, Northfield (nflibrary.org
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff