Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I asked my colleagues at the Hoboken Public Library what books or TV shows or digital media they were thankful to find this year. Following are their favorites, which are available at the library or through interlibrary loan.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
-Kerry Weinstein, Reference Librarian
Photo by Shannon Campbell
This year I am thankful that I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I read and enjoy a lot of books every year but there are very few that live up to the phrase “page turner.” This book is so surprising that the minute I finished I wanted to start over from the beginning to see how the pieces fit together. It’s not an easy read. There’s war, torture and loss. But also friendship, love and hope. Highly recommended.
Aimee Harris, Head of Reference
I’m thankful that we will be offering some great new services next month to our patrons: JobNow and HelpNow from Brainfuse. Help Now provides students with online homework help from qualified tutors between 2 PM and 11 PM. There are also always available video tutorials and practice tests for exams like the GED and SAT. There is assistance for adults with skill building and who may need help with essays, business letters, or other writing. JobNow provides assistance for job seekers with their resumes, interview coaching and more. Check them out starting in December!
Rosary Van Ingen, Adult Circulation Services Department Head
My pick for the #gratitude post is The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. This novel, set in post-WWI Europe, celebrates love, friendship and family. This book never fails to remind me of the beauty and power of friendship.
Sharlene Edwards, Senior Children’s Librarian
I am so happy to have recently picked up The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. When it was published last year, I put it on my mental to-read list and continued on my adult fiction kick. My to-read list is predictably long and unrealistic, and I would have most certainly forgotten about Auxier’s juvenile fantasy novel if I hadn’t spied HPL’s Young Adult Librarian hurriedly reading the last ten pages before starting her work day. I brought it with me on my train ride home that night, and, by the end of page one, I knew I was going to fall completely in love with Auxier’s creepy Victorian tale about two young orphans who find themselves desperate for food and shelter at the door of an infamously strange house in the woods. Quickly the children learn that there are sinister forces at work in their new residence. The occupants, an unhappy family who is burdened by a mysterious illness, are under the dark thrall of a wishing tree. After finding myself in a bit of a reading slump, Auxier’s beautifully written novel reminded me of the power of artful storytelling.
Kerry Weinstein, Reference Librarian
This year I am thankful to have founded, with Rosary, the Mile Square City Readers book club. We have a wonderful, opinionated group that brings fresh perspectives and interesting insights to the books we read. I have tried to start a few book clubs in the past that didn’t last too long, and I’m excited to have this great club to talk books with once a month.
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 
One Response to “HPL Staff Gives Thanks”