Category: Nonfiction

Posted in Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Historical, Horror, LGBTQI+, Mystery, Nonfiction, Teen & Young Adult, Thrillers

Book Club Ideas From Me to You

Posted on by Molly

One thing I love about working as a librarian is the ability to provide classic services and programs. It doesn’t get much classic-er than the good ol’ book club.

We here at Mead run a variety of book clubs to suit an array of tastes and interests. We also provide circulating book kits (six to twelve copies of one title) available for public checkout. Below, I listed a few book club themes along with some titles that would make for excellent discussions in each category.

Mystery Club

Mead already has a fantastic mystery book club called Moonlight and Murder. Meetings occur every other month at The Black Pig. It’s a long-established group that even COVID could not defeat. 

Since mysteries are my main jam, I thought it couldn’t hurt to list some of the best books in this genre that I’ve encountered lately. The mystery titles I picked are highly sought-after new releases that all came out within the last year. 

  • None of This is True (2023) by Lisa Jewell; excellent use of the unreliable narrator trope. I had to read this as fast as possible or I would have lost my mind. 
  • Bright Young Women (2023) by Jessica Knoll; a feminist and fictionalized account of a famous 1979 Florida sorority house murder spree that focuses on the victims and not the booger-eating alcoholic dipshit who committed the crimes. Important AND infuriating. 
  • The Frozen River (2023) by Ariel Lawhon; easily one of the best books I have read in the past 10 years. It’s based on the real-life diaries of 18th century midwife Martha Ballard. Her diary is in circulation, too. Books featuring elements of pregnancy and childbirth are usually off-putting to me, but this was different. This made me feel how powerful we can be as women, and reminded me not to take for granted all the gains we’ve made socially, politically, and professionally over the intervening two hundred years. 
  • The Teacher (2024) by Freida McFadden; if you’re not familiar with McFadden’s brand of bonkers, you are in for a treat. In this book, everyone is making terrible choices all the time and no one is very likable, which makes the comeuppance all the more delicious. Messy messy messy.

Film Criticism Club

I run a movie club. It’s awesome. We watch a movie on our own and come together to discuss as a group, just like a book club. Join us at 8th Street Ale Haus third Thursdays to see what I mean. 

Film is a particular interest of mine, and I have been encountering more and more film writing and criticism when I prepare for a movie club meeting. This list represents some high points of film writing from over the last few decades, while still being accessible to popular audiences. Doesn’t that sound like a fun book club? I KNOW!!!!!

  • Life Itself: a Memoir (2011) by Roger Ebert; I love him. I LOVE HIM. Fascinating man living through fascinating times. The passages about trying to interview Robert Mitchum made me laugh so hard I cried, and that’s just the first thing that comes to mind. The world is a poorer place without my beloved Ebert. “Movies are like a machine that generates empathy.”
  • Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of New Hollywood (2008) by Mark Harris; inventive breakdown that uses the five 1967 Best Picture nominees- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner; The Graduate; In the Heat of the Night; Doctor Doolittle; and Bonnie and Clyde to examine the transition from Old Hollywood to New that came to pass in the late 1960s.
  • For Keeps (1994) by Pauline Kael; one of the more important and original voices in 20th century film criticism. Her opinions often contradicted prevalent voices of the day. She was famous for only ever watching a picture once before reviewing it. 
  • Cinema Speculation (2022) by Quentin Tarantino; it doesn’t matter how you feel about his oeuvre, this man loves movies and his enthusiasm only serves the medium. Tarantino literally grew up in Los Angeles movie houses when his mother started bringing him along at the age of seven in 1970. He formats this book into ten chapters, one for each year of the 1970s, and focuses on one film for each year as a departure point to expound on.  

YA Book Club, but for adults

About one out of four books I read could be considered Young Adult. This genre label is more useful as a tool to identify reading level as opposed to quality, with the understanding that reading really is ageless. Some among us have  knee-jerk reactions to material produced for a younger audience, but fellas, y’all are missing out when avoiding YA and juvenile material. 

The books I listed are all titles I encountered as a whole adult. Most shattered me emotionally, in the best way possible (looking at you, The Outsiders). Another thing they all have in common are killer plotlines, accessible prose, and relatable depictions of memorable characters.

  • The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990) by Avi; o! To be a 13-year-old girl matching wits with an amoral ship’s captain on the high seas in the mid-19th century! 
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999) by Stephen Chbosky; remember what it was like to feel ugly, vulnerable, beautiful, and powerful all at once? This story helps to remember. 
  • The Outsiders (1967) by S.E. Hinton; this book made me sob real tears. What a beautiful story, which still resonates with readers old and new, fifty years later. 
  • Ghost (2016) by Jason Reynolds; part one of the Track series. If I had the time and inclination I would assign all four volumes of this series for an adult book discussion. Each novella highlights one of four members of a junior high track team, and each stands alone as narratives. The real magic lies within the intertwining and deepening of the stories with each successive installment. If you haven’t read any Jason Reynolds at all yet, what are you even doing? One of the best YA writers in all the land, maybe ever. 

Horror Book Club

At one time I thought I did not like horror fiction, but then I saw some best-of lists, and it turns out I have read a lot of horror fiction. Once I realized my affinity for the genre, I started cultivating my own best-of list. Mead does not have a horror book club! Maybe you should start one!

Here are some of my favorites that could work great in a book club scenario:

  • My Heart is a Chainsaw (2021) by Stephen Graham Jones; this truly upsetting love letter to slasher films is proof positive that Jones is one of the foremost voices in modern horror lit. Lots to discuss here, from treatment of indigenous people to family dynamics and mental health. Don’t worry, the library owns most of the slasher movies mentioned in this book.  
  • Ring Shout (2020) by P. Djeli Clark; what if the racist 1915 film Birth of a Nation caused actual demons to walk the earth? This book freaked me out bad, but in the hands of a writer as talented as Clark, it was tough to put down.  
  • The Hollow Places (2020) by T. Kingfisher; this author is a particular favorite of mine, so I write about her a lot. Kingfisher has a way of tilting the world off kilter just so. Atmospheric, humorous, and unexpectedly gooey at times (I mean like, people turn into goo, not emotionally-speaking), no one does horror like this.
  • How to Sell a Haunted House (2023) by Grady Hendrix; this guy has been cranking out bangers since 2016’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism. In How to Sell a Haunted House, Hendrix brings actual scares and dread to his take on grief portrayed as a haunted house. Most of the work in his back catalog would work great for a book club discussion, too. 

Honorable mention YA/Horror Book Club crossover:

  • Clown in a Cornfield (2020) by Adam Cesare; thinly veiled criticism of the MAGA crowd that imagines what would happen if conservatives straight up started murdering people they didn’t align with politically. Super violent and grody, this book practically has a smell to it. Despite all that, it is such a lot of fun to read if you love slasher fiction as much as I do. 

While I personally dislike reading on a schedule (hence running movie club which only cuts into two hours of my leisure time as opposed to several), many thrive on it. My goal was to provide a starting point and some solid book picks for those who are interested in running their own book group. Figure out a venue and some snacks, and a charming evening awaits. 

Don’t want to start your own book group? Consider attending one of ours. Click the links to see current book picks (as of March 28, 2024), meeting locations, and timings:

Posted in Award Winners, Fiction, Kids 0-5, Kids 5-12, Nonfiction, Teen & Young Adult, Uncategorized

Children’s Award Books 2024

Posted on by Bree

It’s that time of year again! The American Library Association has announced the winners of the 2024 Youth Media Awards. Materials for children and teens were selected by committees of literature and media specialists under different categories for their excellence. Check out some of the award winners below and click on the links to reserve your copies through the Monarch catalog. Scroll to the bottom of the post for a link to the full list of this year’s award recipients.

John Newbery Medal

The John Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This year’s winner is The Eyes and the Impossible, written by Dave Eggers and illustrated by Shawn Harris.

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
Continue reading “Children’s Award Books 2024” →
Posted in Adult, Biography & Memoir, Fiction, Historical, Nonfiction, While You Wait

While You Wait January 2024: The Women & Oath and Honor

Posted on by Zachary

Winter has finally arrived for us here in Wisconsin. I can’t say that I have been loving the biting winds on my walk to work. But it’s perfect weather to curl up with a book and get some reading done. I’ve rounded up the top fiction and nonfiction books from our holds list. This month we have The Women by Kristin Hannah and Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney blazing up our lists here at Mead. But don’t despair! There are a couple other books you can check out while you wait for those two books. For all of the books in this week’s post, I’ve included the book’s description from our catalog. Stay warm, everyone!

The Women by Kristin Hannah (Large Print)

“When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.”

Continue reading “While You Wait January 2024: The Women & Oath and Honor” →
Posted in Adult, Audience, Nonfiction, Staff Picks

5 Books to Help You Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution of Running

Posted on by Ryan

As the new year quickly approaches, you’re probably looking forward to all of the exciting things you’ve planned to ring in the new year. That could be traveling, eating good food, seeing friends, or even just sitting from the comfort of your own home while watching the ball drop. Whatever it may be, you’re probably also thinking of a new year’s resolution for once the celebrating is over.

And if you picked running as your goal for the new year, you may feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Starting can seem like a daunting task, after all — as someone who got into running a little over a year ago, I can relate. There’s a lot of questions that come up in the beginning. How far should I run? What should I wear? And how do I stop chafing so much? (All questions I’ve asked myself)

Since I’ve started, I’ve learned a lot about the joys of running and come across many books on the subject. And today, I’d like to share some of my favorites with you. They cover a range of topics like how to get started, why to get started, and how to keep going, all while offering some helpful tips that runners of all levels can appreciate:

Slow AF Run Club : The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run (2023) by Martinus Evans

Ten years ago, Martinus Evans got some stern advice from his doctor: “Lose weight or die.” First defensive, but then defiant, Evans vowed that day to run a marathon, though his doctor thought he was crazy. Since then, Evans has run eight marathons and hundreds of other distances in his 300-something body, created his own devoted running community, and has been featured on the cover of Runner’s World.

This book is a blueprint for those who may not fit the image of a “traditional” runner – that is, someone who is larger in size, less athletic, out of shape, or dealing with any kind of health issue that slows them down – to feel empowered to lace up their shoes and embrace the body they have right now.

Continue reading “5 Books to Help You Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution of Running” →
Posted in Adult, Fiction, History, Mystery, Nonfiction

While You Wait December 2023: The Price You Pay and Killers of the Flower Moon

Posted on by Anneliese

NOTE: Apologies! It was pointed out that the first version of this post had a book in it, The Stakes by Ben Sanders, where the only copy in the library system had been withdrawn – it wasn’t actually available! It’s been replaced with a new readalike below.

On the fiction side, we’ve got a new Nick Petrie book being requested like mad. It’s the eighth book in his Peter Ash series, so people who have gotten invested in them are clearly eagerly awaiting this new release. And there’s nothing to boost the popularity of a non-fiction book like being made into a movie, so it’s not surprising that Killers of the Flower Moon is seeing a surge in popularity (plus, my mom says it’s an amazing book!).

The Price You Pay by Nick Petrie

Lewis has helped Peter Ash out of more trouble than Peter cares to remember. So he doesn’t hesitate when Lewis asks a favor in return. Lewis has left his criminal past behind, but a former associate may be in trouble, and he and Peter must drive into the teeth of a blizzard to find him. When they discover blood in the snow and a smoldering cabin, both men know things are bad. Then they learn that someone has stolen notebooks full of incriminating secrets about Lewis’s long-ago crimes, and realize the situation is much worse than they’d thought.

To save Lewis’s wife, Dinah, and her two boys, Lewis and Peter must find the notebooks. With Peter’s longtime girlfriend, June Cassidy, they begin the search—facing ruthless and violent foes at each turn, including one powerful person who will stop at nothing for revenge. Will Peter and Lewis be able to keep that dark past buried? Or will they need to step into the darkness to save the people they love most?

Continue reading “While You Wait December 2023: The Price You Pay and Killers of the Flower Moon” →
Posted in Adult, Biography & Memoir, Contemporary, Fiction, Historical, Nonfiction

While You Wait November 2023: Mother-Daughter Murder Night and Counting the Cost

Posted on by Anneliese

Two months in a row with a non-fiction book topping the most-requested items list – it certainly seems to be the season of the memoir this fall! And this time, it’s Britney Spears’ new book, The Woman in Me, that everyone wants a copy of. And on the fiction side, we have quite a few familiar names as the big authors release new books in time for holiday gift-giving. At the top of that list is Kristin Hannah’s The Women. Get on the waitlists ASAP, and while you wait, check out the similar titles we’ve picked out below!

The Women by Kristin Hannah

When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

Continue reading “While You Wait November 2023: Mother-Daughter Murder Night and Counting the Cost” →
Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, New & Upcoming, Nonfiction, Romance, Thrillers

Library Reads: November 2023

Posted on by Carol

This month’s titles include the second entry in Travis Baldree’s groundbreaking cozy fantasy series, a multi-generational family story, and a pointed look at social mobility in America from the author of Maid.

Top Pick: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

In this worthy prequel to Legends & Lattes, a young Viv is laid up in the quiet town of Murk after her enthusiastic inexperience leads to a serious injury. She gradually assembles a group of friends including a swear-happy bookshop owner, a mercenary turned baker, and an irrepressible Gallina, eager to join Rackham’s Raiders. Murk doesn’t stay quiet for long with Viv around, and there’s plenty of coziness in the bookshop, eating delicious baked goods, and flirting with a new friend.

—Lauren Abner, KY Dept for Libraries & Archives, KY
NoveList read-alike: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Continue reading “Library Reads: November 2023” →
Posted in Adult, Film, Nonfiction

Non-fiction in the DVD Department

Posted on by Molly

The DVD collection at Mead is fascinating. It honestly doesn’t matter what we add to the shelf, it tends to circulate like crazy. I replaced a copy of Harry and the Hendersons last year because the one we had in the catalog circulated OVER THREE HUNDRED TIMES and had been in the collection since 2008, which is bonkers that it played at all by that point (typically a disc is evaluated for condition after 100 circulations, we weren’t born in a barn over here). What I’m getting at, is that this collection doesn’t require a lot of promotion to maintain good circulation numbers. The exception being the non-fiction DVD portion of this collection. It’s arranged by Dewey Decimal, just like the print non-fiction, which makes browsing more difficult. There are comedy specials, nature shows, history lessons, musicals and concerts, you name it, to be found among the non-fiction DVDs. This is also where the documentaries live. 

I wanted to give the documentaries a little more visibility apart from the wall of difficult-to-parse spine labels. The discerning Mead Library patron will notice a two-sided display adjacent to where the DVD collection is shelved on our first floor. On one side is a dazzling array of BluRay discs, another collection area that I wanted to highlight, and on the opposite side I have placed a rotating selection of non-fiction DVDs for your browsing convenience and delight. Below, I listed several docs that are total bangers. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and in the case of Dear Zachary, you’ll curl into the fetal position and cry a lot. Titles are linked to the Monarch catalog listing. Descriptions provided by publisher:

Paris is Burning (1991) directed by Jennie Livingston


Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade?
This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, it offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion ‘houses,’ from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. PS: Mead owns the Criterion Collection version of this documentary so it will be extra fabulous. 

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) directed by Kurt Kuenne

I am not providing the publisher description here because it’s better to be devastated in real time while watching. Bring kleenex and prozac, and hug your loved ones close. Suffice to say, this particular documentary is excellent as well as devastating.

Gates of Heaven (1978) directed by Errol Morris


Errol Morris changed the face of documentary filmmaking in the US, and his career began with a remarkable tale of American eccentricity. He uses two Southern California pet cemeteries as the basis for a profound and funny rumination on love, loss, and industry.


Summer of Soul (2021) directed by Questlove
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary, part music film, part historical record, created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion.

Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten, until now. This documentary shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past, and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) directed by Godfrey Reggio


This first work of The Qatsi Trilogy wordlessly surveys the rapidly changing environments of the Northern Hemisphere, in an astonishing collage created by the director, cinematographer Ron Fricke, and composer Philip Glass. It shuttles viewers from one jaw-dropping vision to the next, moving from images of untouched nature to others depicting human beings’ increasing dependence on technology.

The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1994) directed by Ray Müller


At the heart of this film is the question of whether Leni Riefenstahl was a Nazi, as her detractors claim, or whether she was the victim of society – a naïve, young woman who made Triumph des Willens on assignment, and simply did a very good job. This film does not judge, and Riefenstahl (a feisty 90 during production) is genuine in her protest. Or has the passage of 50-plus years simply rewritten history in her mind? Viewers must judge for themselves.

Additional totally awesome, informative, and entertaining documentaries:

Crumb (1994) directed by Terry Zwigoff
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) directed by Penelope Spheeris (we also have Vol. 2 and 3)
Encounters at the End of the World (2008) directed by Werner Herzog
Grey Gardens (1976) directed by Albert Maysles et al
Hitchcock/Truffaut (1966) directed by François Truffaut
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) directed by David Gelb
Life Itself (2014) directed by Steve James
Man on Wire (2008) directed by James Marsh

Not so keen on reality? Check out these mockumentaries:

Best in Show (2001) directed by Christopher Guest
Borat (2007) directed by Larry Charles
CB4 (1993) directed by Tamra Davis
Room 237 (2012) directed by Rodney Ascher; note, this was filmed as a straight documentary, but the contents cannot be taken seriously despite my best efforts. 
This is Spinal Tap (1984) directed by Rob Reiner
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) directed by Taika Waititi

The above selections are a mere sliver of what riches await you within the non-fiction DVD collection. If none of the listed documentaries are appealing, allow me to direct your attention to our exclusive movie recommendation tool, Your Next Five Movies. Not a fan of the celluloid medium? Consider using Mead’s Your Next Five Books tool. We anxiously await your DVD requests. Any questions can be directed to us via telephone at 920-459-3400 option 4, or email us at publicservices@meadpl.org.

Posted in Adult, Biography & Memoir, Fiction, Mystery, Nonfiction

While You Wait October 2023: Mother-Daughter Murder Night and Counting the Cost

Posted on by Anneliese

This is a first for this series – the non-fiction book this month has more holds than any of the fiction books! Sometimes, to be honest, I have to scroll quite a ways down our list of most popular holds to find a non-fiction book. People just prefer fiction, I guess! But this month, Jill Duggar’s memoir has shot way up the library’s charts. And on the fiction side, we have a murder mystery that is also a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Get on the holds list, and check out some readalikes while you wait!

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does. 

Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking near their bungalow. Jack quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.

Continue reading “While You Wait October 2023: Mother-Daughter Murder Night and Counting the Cost” →
Posted in Adult, Biography & Memoir, History, Nonfiction

Your Next 5 Books: History & Hollywood Glamour

Posted on by Carol

Patron Lori T.* recently asked us to track her down some history and biography titles using our Your Next 5 Books service, and graciously allowed us to share her interests and answers. Lori was particularly interested in biographies of people in the entertainment industry, especially those from the mid-century era of glamour, as well as Wisconsin history, but wanted to stay away from World War II or true crime books.

My main interest is biographies.  I especially enjoy biographies about famous people/stars in the 1940’s & 1950’s, including about places like the Catskill and French Riviera resorts during that time. I’d also like to find a biography of Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachael Maddow, and Desi Arnaz’s [of “I Love Lucy”] biography A Book.

Continue reading “Your Next 5 Books: History & Hollywood Glamour” →