Staff Picks for National Library : Brittany & Anonymous

 

Brittany

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -  This is my favorite classic. I love the wit, the slow burn romance, and the sharp social commentary. It is one I can return to again and again.

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman -  A wildly entertaining, chaotic, and surprisingly suspenseful read. It is funny, fast paced, and completely over the top in the best way.

 

On Hallowed Ground The Story of Arlington National Cemetery by Robert M. Poole -  A very informative and thoughtfully written history. I learned so much, and it gave deeper meaning to a place so many people recognize but may not fully understand.

For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn - My most recent read and an absolute page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.

Story of My Life by Lucy Score -  A feel good romantic comedy with great chemistry and humor. It was such a fun, uplifting read.

Anonymous Picks

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14^th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? By Raymond Carver

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King

The Green Mile by Stephen King

The Mist by Stephen King

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman

Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien

What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Complete Stories, Selections by Edgar Allen Poe 

Complete Poems by E.E. Cummings

Witches Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

King Sorrow by Joe Hill 

Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neil

Of Witches, Salem, and Hysteria: Beyond the Movie Witch

Recommendations by Christy H.

In the new horror film “The Witch” a family is cast out of their Puritan village for somewhat hazy, although most definitely religious, reasons. William and Katherine decide to build their own homestead right at the edge of the untamed New England wilderness. However, they and their five children soon learn that there is something unnatural lurking in the woods. And while that something is dangerous so is the fear and paranoia slowly growing within their own family.

After seeing this, I went on a book-adding frenzy for my to-read list – anything relating to Puritans or witches. Here are a few that I’m looking forward to reading (and a recommendation I’ve already read.)

Fiction

The Minister’s Daughter by Julie Hearn

Nell is a healer, herb gatherer, and midwife.

Grace is a minister’s daughter: refined, sweet, and innocent.

These two women could not be more different, and when Grace and her younger sister start pitching fits and speaking in tongues suspicious eyes look to Nell.

The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent

Martha and Sarah Carrier are like most any mother and daughter. They love each other but they are often at odds with each other as well. Sarah stands by her mother, however, when Martha is accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

Susannah Morrow by Megan Chance

Fifteen year old Charity is trying to cope with her first young heartbreak which isn’t easy to do when there is no one to turn to for comfort. Charity‘s mother died in childbirth and her stoic Puritan father has been withdrawn ever since.  A small hope comes in the form of her aunt Susannah Morrow who has arrived from London.

But independent Susannah struggles in the strict community. Suspicion towards her begins to grow and soon “the fanaticism, repressed emotions and sexual guilt in Salem explode into a form of hysteria that will make its name infamous.”

The Fever by Megan Abbott

            This book isn’t about Puritans, and it’s not set in the past. It’s not even really about witches. But the comparisons are easy to see.

            When Deenie’s best friend seizes up in class in what can only be described as “a fit” rumors fly faster than Deenie can keep up. Soon girls are having fits left and right and no one can explain why. As hysteria and suspicion grow, Deenie struggles to understand what is happening.

Non-Fiction

Six Women of Salem: the Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K. Roach

            Most people know the story of the Salem Witch Trials. Many even know prominent names of some of those involved. But Roach zeroes in on six specific women in an effort to transform trivia tidbits into real, three dimensional human beings. 

A Delusion of Satan: the Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials by Francis Hill

            Called a “grisly read and an engrossing one”, Hill details the Salem Witch Trials from the spiteful accusers who seek vengeance to a four year old “witch” who was chained to a wall.

American Jezebel: the Uncommon Life of Ann Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans by Eva LaPlante

            Although not specifically about witches, Ann Hutchinson was certainly called that - among other pejorative terms like “instrument of Satan” and “Jezebel.” Her only crimes seemed to be hosting a weekly religious study group (of sorts) in her home and expressing discontent with local ministers, or as someone more directly put it: “[being] more bold than a man.” Tried and banished from her own community, Hutchinson made an everlasting impression in women’s history.