Tag: 210701

Baseball hits midyear

Believe it or not, baseball hits the midpoint this weekend. And with the local nine leading the AL East it’s been a year of pleasant surprises for Red Sox Nation. I did not see this coming, mainly because I didn’t think they had the pitching and still don’t. But as I said in an earlier column, I didn’t think they had enough in 2013 and was convinced of that right up until they won the World Series. So there is precedent for me being wrong from wire to wire. So this time, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy it.

However, they’re not the only story in baseball creating buzz throughout the game. So here are a few other stories, even in the National League, which I generally talk more about on my annual weekend trip to Long Island each July than I do with folks up here the rest of the entire season. But not this year.

San Francisco Giants: Their having the best record in baseball may be more surprising than the Sox. Here are four things about them of interest to Red Sox Nation. (1) Yaz’s grandson Mike Yastrzemski is the right fielder with 10 homers, 27 RBI, and is hitting .221. (2) Since I hadn’t heard his name in years, I assumed Johnny Cueto was dead. But he’s alive and still pitching at 35, where he’s 6-2 with 3.63 ERA. (3) Their two best starters are ex-Oriole meatballer Kevin Gausman and the Irish kid Anthony DeSclafani, who are 16-3 combined with ERA’s of 1.49 and 2.77 respectively. (4) Somehow they’re doing it with Sox alum Gabe Kapler as manager, who more than once forgot how many outs there were while managing in Philly.

NL West Race: That could portend a raucous race for playoff spots in the NL West involving the West Coast G-Men, defending champion Dodgers and upstart Padres led by the exciting Fernando Tatis. They could be even better in the second half if newcomer Blake Snell (3-3, 5.29) ever shakes off the frustration of being yanked by idiot manager Kevin Cash after six untouchable Game 7 innings to hand the Dodgers the World Series.

Jacob deGrom:While the numbers are incredible — 0.69 ERA, 122 K’s in 78 innings, which is 14.07 K’s per 9 innings compared to Nolan Ryan’s best ever 10.6 — how come he doesn’t win more games? He’s only won more than 11 twice with a high of 15 in 2017. Can his hitters be that bad? Can’t be as bad as the team behind Koufax in L.A., who took fly swatters to the plate. Or is he the poster boy for the stat geeks’ belief that wins are an irrelevant stat for starters?

Ticky Tack Baseballs: Once again baseball shoots itself in the head thanks to whiny pitchers like Garrett Richards and idiot managers like Joe Girardi causing a ruckus because they’re no longer allowed to use illegal substances to make baseballs spin better. Again, but slower this time: histrionics by crybabies over being prevented from doing something illegal. If that’s not so 2021 America, nothing is.

The F-Cat Trio: It’s not that folks didn’t know what was in store for the sons of three major leaguers when they played for the F-Cats a few years back. But by hitting .342 and leading the majors in homers (26) and RBI (66) the Blue Jays’ Vlad Guerrero Jr. is now the best young hitter in baseball. Not far behind are Manchester bros shortstop Bo Bichette (.281/14/50) and injury-plagued third baseman Cavan Biggio (.217/6/17). The year’s highlight was all going deep in the same game at Fenway in June.

Shohei Ohtani: While Vlad’s season has been great, Otahni’s is historic. After four years he’s finally healthy and playing as the first full-time hitter/pitcher since Babe Ruth. He was 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA after 11 starts to go with 25 jacks and 59 RBI. What’s not to like?

Why 12 Years Was Too Much For Mookie: For the answer, all you needed to do was be at Fenway Park for Dustin Pedroia Night on Friday. The night of course was well-earned by Pedey and congrats to him. But it was a reminder that after signing an eight-year deal he played the following games by year: 135, 93, 164, 105, 3, 6, 0, and they are still paying him in 2021. In the other dugout was Giancarlo Stanton, who played 41 games in 2018 and 19 early in a $30 million per, 12-year deal going to 2028. Lesson to be learned: Stuff happens, so the considerable risk is too great.

Mookie vs. Alex Verdugo Update: Games, Runs, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, Average and paycheck. Mook’s numbers are first. 66/72 , 47/47, 20/15 , 3/1 , 9/9, 28/32, .248/.276, $22.9 million/$560K.

The New York Yankees: After just suffering a second straight weekend sweep to the Red Sox and another disappointing season in progress, the natives are restless in the Apple. If these were the good old days, Aaron Boone would have been fired and rehired two or three times by now. But the weirdest of all is that while the Red Sox have fired three GM’s despite winning four World Series this century, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has somehow managed to keep his job after winning the WS just once in 20 years with that gigantic payroll. George Steinbrenner has to be rolling over in his grave.

Theo Epstein Curse: It was the only flaw in his resume, as from Carl Crawford to Jason Heyward almost no one Theolavished big money on ever lived up to expectations. Even when one worked, like with Ben Zobrist helping the Cubs finally win in 2016, there’s a dark twist. For poor Ben, it’s suing his own minister last week for allegedly having an affair with his wife! Can’t trust your own minister. Again, so 2021.

We’ll get to the Sox after the All-Star game.

Small town girls

Bedford author’s debut explores coming-of-age

For four years, Bedford resident Gigi Georges, who lives part of the year in Maine, followed the lives of five young women growing up in rural Maine. She shares their stories, providing an intimate look at the contemporary female rural experience, in her debut book, Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America.

What is Downeast about?
It’s a work of narrative nonfiction that explores the lives of five young women … in Washington County [in Maine]. Maine is actually the most rural state in the nation — it’s incredibly isolated and challenged in terms of poverty and the hardships that often come with economic difficulties — and Washington County is one of the most rural and isolated parts of Maine. … I spent essentially four years reporting on this [community] and following these young women from their late high school years into their early college and work years.

What sparked the idea for this book?
I’m a city kid, originally from Brooklyn, New York. I spent most of my life in urban places. … until about 15 years ago, when my husband and I decided to move to northern New England, ultimately [settling in] Maine and New Hampshire. As we raised our daughter in significantly more rural places than either of us had ever lived, we began to see something different from what we had been hearing and continue to hear … about rural America. Much of today’s narrative about rural America in the media and the broader popular culture is one of hopelessness and despair … but I was seeing a more hopeful story of young people, particularly of young women. … I wanted to dig deep and understand that dichotomy between what we often hear and what we were seeing.

What was the process of your research and writing?
A good friend of mine … introduced me to the school superintendent and principal there, and they allowed me to sit in and have some informal discussions with the young people at the high school. … From there, I found these five young women, who I believed were broadly representative of life in this rural and isolated place. For four years, they allowed me to follow them. … I ended up spending countless hours with them. … I’d make the trip from Southwest Harbor, which is about an hour’s drive, or the five-hour trip from Bedford. … I started by simply interviewing them [and] recording the conversations. They allowed me into their homes; to go with them to their favorite places, out on the lobster boats, out to the blueberry farms; to speak to their family members, friends, teachers and mentors; and to really immerse myself in their community.

Have you done this kind of writing in the past?
No. I come from a background of politics and public policy … and working in urban education issues. I had done some writing … but all academic. … This was my first foray into journalistic reporting and narrative nonfiction writing. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but until I met these extraordinary young women and [saw] this community that is thriving in the face of so many challenges, I hadn’t had that moment where I knew that this was the book I was meant to write.

Is Covid part of this story?
Yes. The book takes the reader up to late last summer, during Covid. It was an interesting time to write about a rural place. … I think it made the findings of the book stronger. … I thought about urban areas … and how isolated they became… and how rural places that are geographically isolated were anything but [socially] isolated, because they have a tremendous sense of social capital and strength of community. I thought that, in the time of Covid, it was even more important to point that out.

What would you like readers to take away from Downeast?
It’s important to see beyond the stories of hopelessness and despair about rural America, and equally important to listen to the voices of contemporary young women, which, until this point, has been largely absent from the accounts we’ve had in recent years about rural America. These voices are worth listening to because, in many ways, they represent the future of places like Washington County.

What did you gain from the experience personally?
I gained a tremendous appreciation for the resilience, self-awareness and fierceness … of the young women in Washington County. … I’ve often reflected that if my young daughter, who is now 9, has half of the qualities that are seen and portrayed in these young women, I’ll be a happy mom.

Do you keep in touch with the women in the book?
I do. We text fairly regularly, and we even have a group text [chain] going with me and all five girls. I’ve learned to be a really good texter; they’re bringing me up to speed!

Is there anything else you’re interested in writing about?
I have been asked to and have thought about one day writing something about the young men. I think they have their own story to tell.

Featured author photo credit: Vanessa Lyn

Foraging Memories

The elderberries are in full bloom. For my family they hold special significance as they remind us of my father-in law, who passed away almost four years ago.

My father-in-law loved his wild edibles. Every year at about this time he would drive along the country roads of Pickaway County in Ohio where he lived, keeping an eye out for elderberry flowers at the edges of woods and farmers’ fields. He’d carefully take mental note of their location so he could return later in the summer to forage for their magical berries. I’ve heard how he’d make elderberry wine with the berries — or how they’d get baked into one of his wife’s delicious pies. He also had many “adventures” getting stuck in ditches and battling poison ivy and always had colorful stories to share about his quest for those berries.

My husband has continued the elderberry passion, planting them on our property and harvesting them for all things elderberry. He also enjoys spotting them while driving around Manchester and New Hampshire, and talks excitedly about how they evoke memories, brighten up the drives and landscapes, and provide nectar and pollen for our local honey bees — another one of his passions, best left for another day’s column.

Most years, he and our daughter cook up a batch of elderberry syrup that is especially nice on yogurt and vanilla ice-cream. He has not yet forayed into making elderberry wine, but I suspect that is coming. The cooked berries regularly go into people’s smoothies and many live in the freezer for winter treats, once again reminding us of summer’s warmth and of fond times with my father-in-law. (Do note the tart berries can be toxic and should be cooked before eating!)

One of my less-favored consequences of working with elderberries are the inevitable purple-stained fingers that linger for days — and yet they, too, evoke “tasty” memories and trigger anticipation of the next elderberry treat that will be heartily enjoyed. (“Tasty” is a food adjective commonly and enthusiastically used by my husband’s family.)

I realize these little things we take for granted, such as flowers on the side of the road that we may not even notice most days, spark important and meaningful memories. What are the items or events that do the same for you? I hope we can all take time to appreciate and savor the little things that help bring meaning and sweetness to our life today.

My family and I are grateful for the generous gift of memories (and yummy treats) that the elderberries provide us today and every year. I wish the same for you and yours.

News & Notes 21/07/01

Covid-19 updateAs of June 21As of June 28
Total cases statewide99,32999,455
Total current infections statewide196155
Total deaths statewide1,3671,371
New cases186 (June 15 to June 21)126 (June 22 to June 28)
Current infections: Hillsborough County5525
Current infections: Merrimack County1311
Current infections: Rockingham County3235
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 19 new positive cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire on June 28. The state averaged 21 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period (June 22 to June 28), a 10-percent decrease compared to the previous week.

As of June 28, just over 730,000 Granite Staters — roughly 53.9 percent of the state’s population — were fully vaccinated. State-run vaccination sites were set to close on June 30, but vaccine doses are still available at hundreds of locations statewide, including at many hospitals, pharmacies, outpatient offices and community health centers.

The United States Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit filed by the State of New Hampshire against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, according to a June 28 report from WMUR, over income taxes collected from roughly 80,000 Granite Staters working from home for Massachusetts companies during the pandemic.

“This decision will have lasting ramifications for thousands of Granite State residents,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement on June 28 following the ruling.

State budget passed

On June 25, Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 1 and HB 2 into law and issued the following statement: “Historic tax cuts, property tax relief, and Paid Family Medical Leave delivered all in one sweeping action is a win for every citizen and family in this state.” House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) applauded the actions, saying in a statement that the House passed a “historic budget that is balanced and fiscally responsible,” and that “Republicans delivered on tax cuts, reduced spending, education freedom, much needed mental health services and more without raising taxes or increasing spending.” NH House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn) said in a statement that the budget includes more than $170 million in tax cuts and is “a major win for every single taxpayer in this state.” Democrats in the House disagreed. Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord), ranking Democrat on the House Finance Committee, said in a statement that the budget does not meet the needs of constituents and that cuts to vital programs and services will hurt the state’s most vulnerable residents. House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) said in a statement that the budget “harms our state by cutting education funding, raising property taxes, and forcing right-wing ideology on the people of New Hampshire.”

New Hampshire’s kids

Several state departments have recently announced programs and services designed to promote the quality of life of children and families throughout the state.

Mental health at camp: Community mental health centers in New Hampshire will be offering services at camps throughout the state this summer. According to a press release, the Department of Education and the Community Behavioral Health Association are using Covid-19 response funds to provide mental health training to camp counselors and will be on site offering mental health services at many camps in the state as well. These services are part of the Department of Education’s Rekindling Curiosity: Every Kid Goes to Camp program, which offers camp tuition support in an effort to get more kids outside and participating in normal activities to counteract some of the negative effects of the pandemic, the release said. The 10 community mental health centers in the state will each designate staff members to be on site at camps on a weekly basis, and camp counselors ages 14 and older will receive training to address basic mental health issues as well as any mental health crises that may arise.

Stabilizing child care: The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services will use federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to launch several new initiatives in the next few weeks, according to a press release, including stabilization grants to child care programs, workforce recruitment and retention efforts, and market rate increases for the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. All of the initiatives are designed to help residents who need access to child care return to work. According to the release, they include child care stabilization grants open to all licensed and enrolled license-exempt child care providers beginning July 12; child care scholarship increases for families enrolled in the NH Child Care Scholarship Program beginning July 12; child care workforce recruitment and retention efforts; a child care virtual job board; a pre-apprenticeship program to provide experience for people interested in a career in child care; and Open Your Home to Child Care, which will help people who are interested in becoming family child care providers and license-exempt home providers navigate the start-up process.

Charter school grants: The 2020-2021 federal charter school grant competition is now underway, with applications being accepted until 4 p.m. on July 22, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The grant funds will be used to start new public charter schools or to replicate and expand existing high-quality public charter schools and are being made available as part of the five-year, $46 million grant award the state received from the U.S. Department of Education in 2019. Over the next four years, the funds will aid in the creation of 20 new public charter schools and strengthen the existing charter school oversight infrastructure. According to the release, many of the state’s chartered public schools currently have long wait lists for student enrollment. Priority funds will be given to schools that target disadvantaged and at-risk student populations or that offer highly innovative models for advancing student achievement in a given field.

On Saturday, July 3, 13 New Hampshire communities will host readings of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech in which he asked, “What to the slave is your Fourth of July?” Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, the readings will be held most locally in Concord, Hopkinton, Nashua, Manchester and Warner. For exact times and locations, visit blackheritagetrailnh.org or call 570-8469.

There’s a new splash pad and playground in Manchester. According to a press release, on June 25 the water features were turned on for the first time during an opening ceremony at Sheehan-Basquil Park Splash Pad and Playground, located at 297 Maple St.

A mosquito batch collected in Bow last week tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. It’s the first time JCV has been found in mosquitoes in New Hampshire, though there have been a few cases in humans, including in Bow in 2020. Testing mosquitoes for JCV has not been part of routine surveillance until this year, the release said.

The Nashua Board of Education announced on June 28 that Dr. Garth McKinney will continue to serve as Superintendent of Schools on an extended interim basis. The board sent a message to all district families and staff informing them that McKinney, who has served as interim superintendent since late January while former Superintendent Jahmal Mosley transitioned to a new job in Massachusetts, will continue in his role until June 30, 2022.

Travel the World

Your guide to a summer of books with exciting locales, thrilling adventures, mysteries and more

Travel the world this summer, even if you’re staying home. Whether you’re on a hammock in your backyard or sitting by the community pool, you can travel near and far with a book. This past year welcomed all kinds of new releases, from page-turning thrillers to thought-provoking memoirs and everything in between. To help you find the perfect read, we asked local library staff and indie booksellers to recommend some of their favorite titles of 2020 and 2021.

See the world

These recommended recent releases highlight different places and cultures throughout the world during both the past and the present.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, published June 2021.

After moving to New York City to finish her college degree, August finds family, romance and herself in an unexpected place: the subway.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “August grows into her own throughout this story with the help of so many wonderful people, with a true representation of New York City serving as the backdrop.”

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, published February 2021.

An intersection of two stories about two women from different places and times: in 1939, Odile is living her dream of working as a librarian at the American Library in Paris, until the Nazis march into town and threaten everything she holds dear; in 1983, Lily, a lonely teenager living in rural Montana, develops a unique bond with the reclusive elderly woman next door.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Interesting history — the 1939 storyline is based on true events — and themes of friendship, love and betrayal are a winning combination.”

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, published February 2021.

A 105-year-old man recounts his incredible tale, based on real events, of driving two giraffes that survived the New England hurricane of 1938 across the country to California, where they were given a new life as the first giraffes at the San Diego Zoo.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is a beautifully written book with characters that come alive.”

A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South, edited by Cinelle Barnes, published October 2020.

Writers living and working in the South reflect on the contemporary South and the complex challenges of race in southern culture in this collection of essays.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is an important work in understanding the experiences of others in a place far removed from New Hampshire.”

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper, published February 2021. 

After graduating high school, Marty leaves his small home town in Kentucky to pursue a career playing oboe in London, England.

Recommended by: Emily Fortin, Teen and Information Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “This is a sweet coming of age story, and you’ll be rooting for Marty as he finds his way in a new country.”

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, published October 2020.

Young Tien and his first-generation immigrant mother bond over a shared love of fairy tales as Tien seeks the right language to come out to his family as gay, and his mother looks back on memories of fleeing Vietnam and the connections she left behind.

Recommended by: Aidan Sonia-Bolduc, librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautiful comic about overcoming differences in culture and language for the sake of a mother and child’s love.”

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, published June 2021.

No one knew why the diplomatic Digby family defected to Russia in 1948. Four years later, Ruth, the twin sister of Iris Digby, is sent undercover by the CIA to retrieve them.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “High stakes, high adventure and moral quandary — it’s a true page-turner. Yes, Beatriz is my niece-in-law, but there’s no bias on this one.”

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy, published March 2020.

Eleven-year-old Maybelle sets out on a RV road trip to Nashville with her neighbor and the local bully, where she plans to compete in a singing contest being judged by the father she never met.

Recommended by: Patty Falconer, Children’s Librarianat Dover Public Library. “This summer adventure brings Maybelle lots of discoveries about herself and others.”

* The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott, published April 2021.

Synnott, a Jackson, New Hampshire, resident, tells the story of his 2019 expedition to try to find out whether explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine ever reached the summit of Mount Everest before they disappeared in 1924.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A great book for a hot day; you’ll appreciate reading about the freezing temperature the climbers endure.”

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey, published June 2021.

Perveen Mistry, India’s first female solicitor, battles conflicting religious and gender roles in 20th-century India as she investigates the death of a young Parsi student who had come to her for legal advice not long before.

Recommended by: Barbara Tosiano, Library Director at Hampton Falls Free Library. “While the series is entertaining, it is also insight into cultures and customs about which the reader might not be familiar.”

The Searcher by Tana French, published October 2020.

Ex-cop Cal Hooper looks forward to a quiet retirement when he moves from Chicago to a small town in the West of Ireland, but instead finds himself trying to find a missing person and discover the mystery behind a series of mutilations of local sheep.

Recommended by: Caitlin Loving, Assistant Director at Bedford Public Library. “I drop everything else I’m reading the minute French has a new book out. I read an advance copy of the book last summer, and I was completely transported.”

From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad War That Made the West by John Sedgwick, published June 2021.

The true story of William Palmer of the Rio Grande railroad and William Strong of the Santa Fe railroad, who were both determined to expand their rail lines into the American southwest in the 1870s.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “Well-told. It was a history unknown to me.”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, publishedOctober 2020

In 18th-century France, Addie, a young girl destined for an arranged marriage that she doesn’t want, makes a deal with the devil that spares her from the marriage but costs more than she bargained for.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “A great read for people who are romantic at heart and enjoy a book with a bit of magical realism, historical fiction and an unexpected but satisfying ending.”

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley, published May 2021.

A man steps off a train into a 19th-century French colony in England, with a mysterious postcard in his possession and no memory of who he is.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book manages to include time travel, alternative reality and historical events. … It was fascinating and unpredictable.”

* I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake: Sleepwalking, Insanity, and the Trial of Abraham Prescott by Leslie Lambert Rounds, published October 2020.

The story of a brutal murder that took place in rural Pembroke, New Hampshire, in 1833.

Recommended by: Tim Sheehan, Library Director at Pembroke Town Library. “Readers who enjoy true crime and local history will enjoy this book.”

Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued by Peter Sis, published January 2021.

Picture book tells the little-known story of Nicholas Winton, a man who saved the lives of nearly 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A great way to learn more of those troubling times … [and of] another hero.”

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts, published June 2021.

In 1954, after losing her farm in Maine, Annie Wilkins, with no money and no family, set out on a two-year-long pilgrimage across America to achieve her lifelong dream of seeing the Pacific Ocean.

Recommended by: Holly Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “The world was different then, but Annie Wilkins’ journey is still an inspiring one today.”

* Spirit of Place: The Making of a New England Garden by Bill Noble, published May 2020.

Noble, a self-taught garden designer, offers a guide to creating a garden in the New England landscape.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is full of inspirational photos and great ideas from his own garden in Vermont.”

Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods by Amelia Pang, published February 2021. 

The true story of an Oregon mom who is compelled to act after she finds a letter inside a package of Halloween decorations, written by a sweatshop worker in China pleading for help.

Recommended by: Amy Hanmer, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “This true life mystery/adventure inspires us to speak out and to stop supporting products from authoritarian countries that don’t value human life.”

Color your world

Mythographic Color and Discover: Frozen Fantasies: An Artist’s Coloring Book of Winter Wonderlands by Fabiana Attanasio, published January 2021. 

Adult coloring book filled with magical ice castles, snowy landscapes and wintery fantastical beings, and challenges to find secret items hidden in the pictures.

Recommended by: Yvonne R. Loomis, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “Yes, folks thought that the adult coloring phase was over, that is, until we were all in lockdown with time and stress on our hands. So consider this unusual and fun coloring book as a tool for self-care and relaxation.”

Fiction

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult, published September 2020.

As the plane Dawn is on is about to go down, the thoughts that come rushing to her mind are not of her husband, but of a man whom she hasn’t seen for 15 years.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Picoult explores the choices that alter the course of your life, [with] fascinating side information about death and dying and ancient Egypt. This is Picoult’s most complex book and, in my opinion, one of her best.”

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson, published March 2021.

Abigail is on her honeymoon on a secluded island with her new millionaire husband when a secret from her past upends her marriage and puts her life in danger.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “Rip-roaring thrillers/mysteries are my summer go-to … and Peter Swanson is my new favorite thriller writer. You won’t soon forget this story.”

Exit by Belinda Bauer, published January 2021.

Felix, a British man in the second half of his life and a member of an inconspicuous group that helps terminally ill people die with dignity, makes a horrible mistake with a ripple of consequences.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A delightfully quirky story that will keep your heart pumping throughout.”

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, published March 2020.

The story of the family William Shakespeare left behind when he went to London to write, produce and perform plays.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautifully written and fascinating novel about possibly the greatest author of all time.”

* The Languid Belly of the Beast by J.S. Carter Gilson, published September 2020.

In the second installment of the Deep Space Cargoist series by Nashua’s own Carter Gilson, old flames are rekindled and new dangers abound as cargoist Inez Stanton sets out to deliver a revolutionary-for-hire deep into the heart of the Free Earth’s capital.

Recommended by: Mary Ellen Carter Gilson, Reference Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “The writing is snappy, the characters are engaging, and the story just pulls you right in. … Yep, [the author] is my husband, but the books really are great!”

* Margreete’s Harbor by Eleanor Morse, published April 2021.

Set in the 1960s, the story follows a family that moves from Michigan to a rural coastal town in Maine to care for an aging mother.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “This wonderful Maine author beautifully intertwines dealing with Alzheimer’s, the pressures of marriage and work and the struggles unique to families during the Vietnam era.”

The Newcomerby Mary Kay Andrews, published May 2021.

On the run from her sister’s murderer, Letty tries to build a new life for herself and her niece and questions whether her new love interest, a local police detective named Joe, can be trusted.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is a perfect beach read — a well-written mystery with just a splash of romance and a happy ending.”

The People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, published April 2021. 

The dynamic between best friends Poppy and Alex starts shifting toward romance when they meet up for their 10th traditional summer trip.

Recommended by: Joanna Meighan, Library Assistant at Hampton Falls Free Library. “Summer is the perfect time for romance, and this book does not disappoint. Emily Henry’s characters are relatable, and the story is light and breezy.”

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, published October 2020.

In 1902, a series of mysterious deaths at The Brookhants School for Girls leads to a curse on the school that no one can seem to unravel.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This creepy and intriguing story kept me turning the pages … and the horror elements will keep you looking over your shoulder. This book will stick with you.”

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, published March 2021.

The second book in a fantasy duology following a young king as he battles a dark power growing inside him.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Ms. Bardugo is fun and easy to read. She takes the reader into her universe quickly, like J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series.”

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan, published June 2020.

A modern take on E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel A Room with a View that follows Lucie, a 19-year-old biracial woman who finds herself torn between two men and two cultures in a land of decadence and privilege.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Mr. Kwan also wrote the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I consider his books a classic beach read —humorous and quickly read.”

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver, published June 2021.

After seeing the long and taxing decline of their own parents’ physical and mental capacities toward the end of their lives, a healthy couple in their 50s make a pact to die with dignity and leave the world together once they turn 80. Fast-forward three decades, and the time has come, but they’re having second thoughts.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “This is the most difficult book to describe, but the most mesmerizing. Each chapter depicts a different outcome … and every outcome seems meant to be.”

The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin, publishedFebruary 2021.

This modern take on Edith Wharton’s 1911 novel Ethan Frome is based on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the rage it causes Zo and her group of fellow activists All Them Witches and the toll it takes on her marriage to husband Ethan.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “I read Ethan Frome in high school and found this story to be a great complement to that excellent book.”

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, published August 2020.

With a suicidal mother and a brother who died of a heroin overdose, Gifty, a Ghanaian immigrant working on a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Stanford, struggles to make sense of the suffering in the world and begins to question the evangelical faith in which she was raised.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “A moving account of a young woman’s attempt to achieve her own goals amid family strife.”

Nonfiction

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, published April 2021.

A memoir centered on the author’s relationship with her mother and her journey of self-discovery following her mother’s death.

Recommended by: Danielle Arpin, Library Assistant at Pelham Public Library. “Zauner does not hold back her complicated feelings about her family and her own identity.”

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard, published May 2021.

Simard, a forest ecologist, explores the lives of trees and their critical role in the circle of life and reflects on the connection between trees and her personal journey of self-discovery.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Simard tells her own story and the research that has forever changed how we view forests and their preservation. A very important book and a must-read for us all.”

Olive, Mabel and Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogsby Andrew Cotter, published October 2020.

Sports commentator Andrew Cotter tells the story of how his two dogs, Olive and Mabel, became part of his family and captured the hearts of people around the world with viral videos of their antics.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “As a dog-lover and owner of a few Labradors over the years, I found it really hilarious and touching. It’s a rare dog book where the dogs don’t die in the end.”

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee, published February 2021.

The author explores issues of income inequality, the Great Recession, environmental degradation and more to refute the idea that economic and social progress for one group is only possible at the expense of another.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “While the book exposes shameful racist practices that have, in fact, affected people of all colors, the final chapter presents hopeful suggestions for creating a more equitable society.”

Food

The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables – With Recipes by Lee Jones, published April 2021.

A recipe book featuring a wide variety of vegetable-based dishes, with chapters divided by different plant families.

Recommended by: Hillary Nelson, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The real glory of this book, to me, is the gorgeous photography. Who knew beet marshmallows could look so delicious? Or that there is a super-cute tuber called oka that looks kind of like a Pokemon and grows like potatoes?”

The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyoneby Joseph Tychonievich, published February 2021.

An easy-to-navigate guide for newbie vegetable growers that includes tips on how to find the best planting location, which vegetables are the easiest to grow, how to water, how to protect the plants from pests and more.

Recommended by: Bre’Anna Beard, Adult Services Assistant at Merrimack Public Library. “This book is both beautifully illustrated and very informative, and it’s an excellent reference for anyone looking to start their own vegetable garden.”

How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire by Steven Raichlen, published April 2021.

A recipe book with 115 creative dishes centered around grilled veggies.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “If you are trying to limit your intake of meat, this is the book for you. Vegetables are the stars of these dishes and always taste better when kissed by fire and smoke.”

Graphic novel

* The Great Gatsby: A Graphic Novel Adaptationby F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated and adapted by K. Woodman Maynard, published January 2021.

Woodman-Maynard, originally from Concord, gives new life to the 1925 classic.

Recommended by: Ryan Clark, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The illustrations are lovely, with a soft and warm color palette that is aesthetically pleasing to look at while still capturing the roaring-twenties-jazz-age tale of obsession and wealth and class.”

Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith, published in September 2020.

The first book in the children’s graphic novel series Pea, Bee & Jay, which follows the adventures of a pea, a bee and a blue jay.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Very colorful, unique, simple, funny books for kids to enjoy.”

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh, published February 2021.

Three mermaids turn themselves into humans so that they can go out drinking at the beach bars, only to realize the next morning that they don’t know how to return to their mermaid form.

Recommended by: Angela Sylvia, Library Technician at Bedford Public Library. “Kat Leyh’s vibrant art fills the mermaid trio and the human friends they make with distinct, lively personalities.”

Children’s

* Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, with contributions by Rebecca Green, publishedSeptember 2020.

Picture book adaptation of Montgomery and Green’s 2018 book How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals looks to animals for lessons about friendship, compassion and sharing the Earth.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A fascinating story [for] kids to learn about our world … and [how] to be a good citizen of the world.”

The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove, published June 2021.

Collection of poetry explores the ecosystem of dirt and the animals that inhabit it.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love it because it’s written as a ‘vertical’ book, giving the sense of going down, [and] includes lots of fun facts and thought-provoking poems.”

* Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden, published May 2021.

The Vermont-based author’s second middle-grade novel follows four seventh-graders struggling to affirm their identity as their families’ expectations of them are in direct conflict with who they are and who they want to become.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Such an important book for our times and one that every school should take up.”

The Lights and Types of Ships at Night by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Annie Dills, publishedOctober 2020.

Educational picture book explores different types of ships.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Simple yet factual and beautiful.”

* On the Farm by David Elliott, illustrated by Holly Meade, originally published March 2008, re-released as a picture book in April 2021.

Picture book adaptation of Elliott’s 2008 book of the same name evokes the sights and sounds of a traditional country farm through poetry and illustrations.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Awesome, feel-good poems that bring you to the farm.”

* Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna & Matt Forrest Esenwine, illustrated by Andres F. Landazabal, published March 2021.

Picture book, written in poetry, explores the natural world of the past and present.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner at MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Co-authored by Warner’s own Matt Forrest Esenwine, here is a wonderful picture book about the world before humans, inviting children to marvel in the magic that once was and to preserve and protect our only Earth.”

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler, published March 2021.

A look at how things are made and the work it takes to build a civilization.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A very creative way to show children how things are done from the bottom up [and that] things don’t magically appear. I like that it gets them to think about what they might want to do.”

Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, illustrated by Paul Barr, published March 2021.

A wilderness survival guide for kids, with practical skills and activities to try at home.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love the idea of getting kids more involved outside and learning how to survive without being plugged in.”

Young adult

City Spies by James Ponti, published March 2020.

The first book in Ponti’s middle-grade series of the same name, which follows a group of five delinquent kids recruited by a spy agency.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “It was so well-written. I didn’t want to stop reading, and it kept me wondering how it would turn out.”

Legendborn by Tracy Deon, published September 2020.

Arthurian legends and Southern Black Girl Magic converge in this contemporary fantasy, which follows Bree, a student at a residential program for high schoolers, as she grieves the death of her mother.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book has a little bit of a slow start, but once I began to learn about Bree, her family, and her power, I was hooked.”

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published September 2020.

Avery Grambs receives a mysterious inheritance from Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire she never knew, but can only keep it under the condition that she reside at the Hawthorne estate. There, she and the Hawthorne brothers work to solve a series of riddles to discover why she was named heiress.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book was impossible to put down and kept me guessing until the very end.”

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