Wednesday, April 9, 2025

NLW: Staff Picks: Tonia, Don, Jenna, Christy, Luke

Tonia



 Stoner by John Williams

 

Stoner is one of those rare novels that quietly breaks your heart. I wasn’t expecting to be so deeply moved by this story, but it completely caught me off guard. It’s a beautifully told, understated portrait of a man’s life—his relationships, his quiet struggles, and the choices he makes that ripple out in profound and sometimes painful ways. The story follows William Stoner, a quiet man who becomes a professor and lives a life that, on the surface, might seem ordinary—but the way it’s told makes each moment feel incredibly meaningful and deeply human.

What struck me most was the honesty. There’s nothing flashy here, just real life—how it unfolds, how it disappoints, and how sometimes even the smallest decisions can change everything. It made me think about how fleeting time is and how the choices we make—good or bad—shape us. I teared up at the end, not because of any dramatic twist, but because of how beautiful and honest it was. 

Don

Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarentino

Determined:  A Science of Life without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky

Jenna

Babel by R.F. Kuang

House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo    

Christy

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford 

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson 

Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson 

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo  

Luke

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer


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