Reader’s Den, Lifelong Learning
Mid-Manhattan Library Reading Recommendations
The staff at Mid-Manhattan library believes one of the things New Yorkers love about their libraries is the opportunity to receive personalized reading recommendations from a team of professional bibliophiles.
Unlike suggestions generated by an algorithm, recommendations by NYPL professionals are carefully tailored to each patron's individual needs. We invite everyone to stop by Mid-Manhattan Library, where our personable librarians will offer recommendations in your favorite genre.
We can also advise you on materials related to your education goals, travel plans, hobbies, nutritional preferences, life-improvement plans, short -term interests, and even your current mood!
While this post contains a list of random recent staff favorites, we can recommend a book that will be just right for you.
Marianna recommends:
Drinking with Saints: The Sinners Guide to a Holy Happy Hour by Michael P. Foley
Sally recommends:
The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back again in book number 20 of the Lynley series, 30 years on! A comforting blend of police procedural and psychological fiction and, at 690 pages, just long enough.
Antonio recommends:
The Black Monday Murders by Jonathan Hickman
From Jonathan Hickman and Tomm Coker comes the next installment in The Black Monday Murders, the crypto-noir series about the power of dirty, filthy money... and exactly what kind of people you can buy with it. Brilliantly plotted and beautifully rendered, offering an intriguing glimpse into a world where magic and finance are intertwined.
Billy recommends:
Room To Dream by David Lynch and Kristine McKenna
Alternating between biography and autobiography, this book is a must for film fans and those interested in creative processes.
Arezoo recommends:
Women of Abstract Expressionism, edited by Joan Marter; introduction by Gwen F. Chanzit, exhibition curator
Zena recommends:
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television/radio host and actor. He currently hosts The Daily Show, a late-night television talk show on Comedy Central.
Christina recommends:
If You're Bored With Watercolour Read This Book by Veronica Ballart Lilja
In If You're Bored with Watercolour Read This Book. Veronica Ballart Lilja puts a fresh spin on watercolor painting, with creative ideas and updated techniques that provide a new perspective on how to use the medium in your artistic experiementations.
If You Can Cut, You Can Collage: From Paper Scraps to Works of Art by Hollie Chastain
Gwynneth recommends:
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots by Nancy Goldstone|
A lively group biography of Elizabeth Stuart, known as the Winter Queen, and her four daughters. The book brings to life seventeenth century Europe and a family that, by refusing to surrender, survived to change the shape of our world.
Elizabeth recommends:
While Standing in Line for Death by CA Conrad
CA Conrad's Lamba Literary Award-winning While Standing in Line for Death is a poignant, forceful, occasionally brutally funny, and brilliant collection of poetry that deals with the murder of his partner and the subsequent emotional fallout.
Laura recommends:
In the Midst of Winter, the latest novel by Isabel Allende
In this novel, Allende writes the stories of three different characters that meet under one roof in the middle of a winter storm in Brooklyn, New York. They all share their own personal life stories, and there is one big secret tights them all together.
This novel is also available in Spanish.
Vilma recommends:
La magia del orden: herramientas para ordenar tu casa ... ¡y tu vida! / by Marie Kondo (traducción Rubén Heredia Vázquez)
- English: Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
- French: Le pouvoir étonnant du rangement : désencombrer sa maison pour alléger sa vie
- Hebrew: סוד הקסם היפני = Life changing magic of tidying-up : איך להיפטר מהבלגן בבית לתמיד - ולהיות מאושרים יותר / מארי קונדו; מאנגלית: אורית בן זאב
- Russian: Искры радости : простая счастливая жизнь в окружении любимых вещей
- Japanese: イラストでときめく片づけの魔法 / 近藤麻理恵
Calbert recommends:
The President is Missing: A Novel by James Patterson and Bill Clinton
What happens when you combine the efforts of two masters of intrigue and suspense? An intense and sensational thriller!
Thomas recommends:
How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger
Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die by Diane Kochilas
The chef and award-winning author presents recipes and insights into the lifestyle and culture of the people of Ikaria, an island in the northern Aegean, who are known for their longevity.
Melissa recommends:
The Burying Place by Brian Freeman
There are two crimes to keep track of—a missing baby and serial killer—plus relationship drama among detectives, in this standard police procedural. Lots of twists and turns will keep you guessing.
The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
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