Staff Picks

APLS staff members are often asked what books or videos or other items they like. As a rule, the library works with the patron to find what that person likes to read or watch. We have many resources that compare authors or works with others to help recommend items.

Nevertheless, we have our favorites too, and have been asked about them. Over the next few months, we will introduce you to some of them. For the month of March, three APLS staff members were asked to share some of their choices!

 

Adult Services - Decatur

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

Chosen by Ann Wenning

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers is said to be the first spy novel. It doesn't read like modern spy novels at all. Set in the very early years of the 20th century, it tells the story of 2 British men who go for a sail in a small sailboat along the German and Netherlands coastsThey're supposed to be on a pleasure cruise, but they are really looking at defenses being built up by Germany in case there's warThey also are mapping the coasts. They meet lots of locals, and they see some shady characters, too. 

I had no idea that Germany had almost no usable coastline at that time and that most of the coastline is sandy and shallowI also didn't know that England knew so far ahead of time that Germany was going to go to war at some point. 

This book is a gentle story about sailing a small ship in shallow seas, about the 2 British men, and about how soon Germany was planning warThat surprised meMy father had originally recommended this to meI love it for its kind of dreamy quality in comparison to the war being planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children's Services - Decatur

Sherlock, Lupin, and Me by "Irene Adler" (pen name of Alessandro Gatti)

Chosen by Avila Myrice

Three young adventurers meet in Saint-Malo, France; Irene Alder, Sherlock Holmes (yes, THAT Sherlock Holmes), and Sherlock’s friend Lupin. These three friends are having the best of summer vacations. Sharing stories of pirates, and a battle of wits while running the streets, and sun-lit rooftops of Saint-Malo. That is, until one afternoon they spy a body floating ashore on a nearby beach. The young detective trio must put their heads together to figure out how to solve this story. Of course, the Dark Lady they’ve been following must have something to do with this body on the beach, right? You’ll have to read it to find out! 

 

 

 

Geneva

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Chosen by Coyla Coblentz

1. What were the main themes of this book?  

  

The book is about a man revisiting his childhood home, but that's like me describing the trunk of a banyan tree while ignoring the immense canopy above and around it. This book reads the same, starting with a simple premise and sprouting far beyond it while remaining rooted to the main story. 

  

  

2. What did you learn from this book?  

  

"Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.” -Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the end of the Lane. 

  

  

3. What surprised you about this book? 

  

Sometimes there really ARE monsters under the bed. 

  

  

4. What is the mood of this book? Happy? Funny? Dramatic? Scary?  

It's funny, dramatic, and scary. It has a profound sense of place, like how it feels when you awake from a particularly detailed dream. 

  

  

5. What made this book stand out to you? The writing style? The characters? 

  

The book takes a dark turn, but also remains somewhat whimsical, which is a tough note to hold throughout an entire story. The mix of melancholy, nostalgia and fantasy gives the story a fullness that's hard to find in other books. 

  

  

6. Are there any books you would compare this one to? 

  

It has the same sense of childhood wonder and fear you would get from Stephen King's novella, The Body (or the 1986 film adaptation entitled "Stand by Me"), but it also has dark fantasy elements to it with a Stranger-Things-meets-Peter-Pan vibe. 

  

  

7. Who would you recommend this book to?  

  

If you love contemporary fantasy but also have the patience to let the main character, a humble British guy, be your quiet guide through a reverie turned dark fantasy, you'll enjoy this book. It's only 256 pages, so it won't be all that intimidating to a novice reader.

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