Every year, Marine resident and library volunteer Bill Simpson, who is also a voracious reader, releases his “best of the year” list of books. This year’s list features all books that are available from the Marine Community Library. View the list, below, or download the list here.
Bill’s Picks- From the Marine Community Library for 2023
Fiction:
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store James McBride (2023, 350p) On “everyone’s” favorites list for 2023
- Scorched Grace Margot Douaihy (2023, 275p) “Nun noir” featuring a punk rocker nun detective
- Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club J. Ryan Stradal (2023,335p) A heart-warming “up North” Minnesota tale
- Small Mercies Dennis Lehane (2023, 300p) Another one of the year’s best books
- Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver (2022, 600p) An Appalachian David Copperfield
- Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead (2023, 275p) Sequel to Harlem Shuffle
- The English Experience Julie Schumacher (2023,225p) Minnesota author of Dear Committee Members
Non-fiction:
- The Wager David Grann (2023, 250p) A story of survival at sea by the author of Killers of the Flower Moon
- American Prometheus Kai Bird and Martin Sherwood (2005, 600p) A must-read if you have seen the Oppenheimer film
- Empire of Ice and Stone Buddy Levy Van (2022, 385p) Another Arctic tale of betrayal, death and heroism
- Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann (2017, 300p) Re-recommended as a companion to the Scorsese film of the same name
Crime:
- The Murder Book Thomas Perry (2023, 400p)
- All the Sinners Bleed S. A. Cosby (2023, 350p) African American sheriff in low country South Carolina
- City of Dreams Don Winslow (2023, 300p) Second in his “city” trilogy
- Independence Square Martin Cruz Smith (2023, 260p) Arkady Renko is in the Ukraine as Russia invades
- Flags on the Bayou James Lee Burke (2023, 300p) A “stand-alone” from J.L. Burke
- The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons Karin Smirnoff (2023, 350p) Continuation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series
- Holly Stephen King (2023, 350p) Holly Gibney has to be the most likable female Private Eye of all time
Audio: Recently acquired, CD format
- Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver (2022, 20 hrs.)
- All the Sinners Bleed S. A. Cosby (2023, 13 hrs.)
- Share Prince Harry (2023, 13 hrs.)
- The Oregon Trail Rinker Buck (2016, 14 hrs.)
- Life on the Mississippi Rinker Buck (2022, 12 hrs.)
- The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece Tom Hanks (2023, 13 hrs.)
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store James McBride (2023, 13 hrs.) Outstanding reader