Book Reviews

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
In its third year, Joplin Public Library will again host Joplin…

Go, Wilma, Go! by Amira Rose Davis and Michael G. Long and The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert
February marks the beginning of Black History Month. I have likely…

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
It’s little wonder that Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake made…

Unforgiven by Shelley Shepard Gray
Sarah, our adult programming coordinator, talked about the Adult…

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Becky Chambers’ A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT is a small book,…

Favorite Reads of 2024
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! As with past years, I like…

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
I’ve been participating in Joplin Public Library’s Adult…

Christina’s Favorite Children’s Books of 2024
Another year has come and gone, which means it’s time for my…

The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne
The celebrity memoir. The decision to read one is subject to…

The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning by A.J. Jacobs
We the People of the United State, in Order to form a more perfect…

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
When Constable Penny Martin pulled over the minibus she didn’t…

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
Adina Giorno is born in September 1977 at the moment that the…

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Emma Wheeler has been the full-time caretaker for her father,…

Audiobook Recommendations
Many of the books I read are in audiobook form; I enjoy the ease…

Loose Threads by Isol
Every so often, an adult will sheepishly tell me that they “still…