JCLC--The Reader

Librarian’s Picks
by April Moon, Emmet O’Neal Library
Anyone who sees Sue Murrell, the director of the Emmet O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, tooling around town in her red convertible would have to question that old adage that librarians are dull and unexciting. Her love of fast cars and exciting books shows that one should never judge a book by its cover, or a woman by her chosen career! Pick up one of her favorites at your local library and join Sue on the literary fast track!
	The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd A soulful tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desires take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother. Like The Secret Life of Bees, Monk’s second novel evokes the same sense of whimsy and poignancy.
	The Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella This humorous series became an instant classic in the “chick-lit” category and chronicles heroine Becky Bloomwood on her hilarious adventures and misadventures as she shops her way through life. There are four books in this series, which begins with Confessions of a Shopaholic and a fifth book is due out soon.
	The Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar This teen series was suggested by Sue’s seventeen year-old daughter and she has admitted to enjoying the soap opera-like turmoil and troubles of the Manhattan prep-school rich kids in this popular YA series.
	Flush and Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen More recognizable now because of the hype surrounding the movie release of his novel Hoot, the name Carl Hiaasen has been known for many years by his loyal following of readers as a sure-fire, rollick-of-a-ride-read. Sue enjoys the humor and quirky storylines present in Hiaasen’s books for adults and looks forward to his next novel, Nature Girl due out in November.
	Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton Like millions of readers, Sue is especially fond of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries. She has a special interest in Sue Grafton, whose sister was a librarian in Louisville, Kentucky, where Sue started her own career. Mystery lovers who are not familiar with this series would do well to start at the beginning of the alphabet and work their way through to the latest installment, “S” is for Silence.

Librarian’s Picks