In this 60 Second Review, Librarian Ginny shares the book Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. This inclusive chapter book is also available as an ebook through CloudLibrary and Hoopla! For more video reviews subscribe to our YouTube Channel and check the Finding Value: 60 Second Reviews playlist.  Read more about Staff Picks: Race to the Sun

Reviewed by Sarah K., Materials Handler

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid is also available as an ebook and audiobook. Read more about Staff Picks: Such a Fun Age

Winner of the 2017 Michael L. Printz Award, the 2017 Coretta Scott King Author Award, the 2017 Sibert Medal, and several other awards, March: Book 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell is a monumental feat of storytelling that is a must-read. March: Book 3 is the final installment in a graphic novel trilogy that chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in the American South from the perspective of John Lewis. This book follows the Civil Rights Movement from the Selma to Montgomery march to the passage of the Civil Rights Act, chronicling the trials and tribulations the protestors faced during this time. Chock full of text, explanations, and history, March: Book 3 illustrates the human need for freedom and equality. At once deeply personal, as we see much from Lewis’s perspective, and highly detached as the broader frictions in the movement are revealed and the enormous struggle the movement overcame are presented. Read more about March: Book 3 by John Lewis

Death has been defeated and world peace achieved. With the guidance of Artificial Intelligence, humanity has ushered in a utopia…. mostly. In Scythe, Neal Shusterman posits that AI has evolved into an omniscient (and omnibenevolent) force called the Thunderhead, through which the world has achieved a true and lasting peace. The Thunderhead controls everything, but unlike many dystopian works, this is a miraculous and profoundly beneficial event. The only power that the Thunderhead does not possess is the ability to take life. That responsibility is assigned to Scythes, who roam the world utilizing quotas to randomly glean (aka kill) in order to keep earth’s population in check. Read more about Scythe by Neal Shusterman

I love the long winter nights of December and January for reading. You can start a book at dusk, and if you're lucky and don't get distracted, finish it before bedtime. It's also a good time of year to discover new authors, subjects you've never investigated, and different formats. (Power up that e-reader!) Magazines, newspapers, and websites also offer their best book lists this time of year.

Librarians have the advantage of being able to browse the stacks and the new book section often. Frequently, they employ the magic of serendipity, accidently discovering that dynamic cover that draws one inside a book, or they notice a title on the cart they've seen reviewed, or find themselves staring at a never-read classic that's been on their lists for years. It's also a great place to overhear book gossip, "That's the best book I've read in months." Read more about Library Staff Recommended Books for 2012