GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Fall is in full swing, meaning its the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a good book.
Bryan Uecker, co-owner of the Book Nook and Java Shop in Montague shares his top 5 picks for readers of all ages.
Adult Fiction – Book Club Book: "Warlight" by Michael Ondaatje
It is 1945, and London is still reeling from years of war. Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel and his older sister, Rachel, seemingly abandoned by their parents, have been left in the care of an enigmatic figure they call The Moth. They suspect he may be a criminal and grow both more convinced and less concerned as they come to know his eccentric crew of friends: men and women with a shared history, all of whom seem determined now to protect and educate (in rather unusual ways) the siblings. But are they really what and who they claim to be? And how should Nathaniel and Rachel feel when their mother returns without their father after months of silence—explaining nothing, excusing nothing? A dozen years later, Nathaniel begins to uncover all he didn’t know or understand during that time, and it is this journey—through reality, recollection, and imagination—that is told in this magnificent novel.
Adult Non-Fiction: "The Beautiful Ones" by Prince
From Prince himself comes the brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time—featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death.
Prince was a musical genius, one of the most talented, beloved, accomplished, popular, and acclaimed musicians in history. But he wasn't only a musician—he was also a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of his early records to the mythical landscape of "Purple Rain" to the psychedelia of "Paisley Park." But his greatest creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, the greatest pop star of his era.
"The Beautiful Ones" is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is composed of the memoir he was writing before his tragic death, pages that brings us into Prince's childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us into Prince's early years as a musician, before his first album released, through a scrapbook of Prince's writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince's evolution through candid images that take us up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book's fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for "Purple Rain"—the final stage in Prince's self-creation, as he retells the autobiography we've seen in the first three parts as a heroic journey.
The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring's riveting and moving introduction about his short but profound collaboration with Prince in his final months—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he'd so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to each of the book‘s images.
This work is not just a tribute to Prince, but an original and energizing literary work, full of Prince's ideas and vision, his voice and image, his undying gift to the world.
Local: "Fateful Friend" by Andrew Smith
Two teens out having fun accidentally start a complex series of events in Indianapolis, IN. A secret group of assassins that delve out their own unique form of justice force an old friend of General Samuel Tarkington's team to call for help. Alex, Jim and the team are instantly thrown into a skirmish they did not start. When Michael Masterson and his beautiful girlfriend Abby appear in the same hotel the team realizes they could use a little help from someone who knows the darker parts of the city, and the world. With the lives of many in the balance, Michael's skills are put to the test against an army to help a Fateful Friend.
Young Adult: "Weird Little Robots" by Carolyn Crimi
When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don’t expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought.
Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit of magic, everything changes: she becomes best friends with Lark, has the chance to join a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. Penny Rose hardly remembers how lonely she used to feel. But then a fateful misstep forces her to choose between the best friend she’s always hoped for and the club she’s always dreamed of, and in the end it may be her beloved little robots that pay the price. Quirky and wonderful, this illustrated chapter book from Carolyn Crimi and Corinna Luyken shows that making your own space and a true friend in the world is a kind of magic all its own.
Children: "This is Baby" by Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" and #1 New York Times bestselling author of "Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA and Everything Is Mama," returns with a book that teaches new babies the words for the various parts of their body—"This is Baby."
From Baby’s HEAD to Baby’s TOES, there are so many parts of Baby you should know.
But what’s the most important part of Baby?
Jimmy Fallon, one of the most popular entertainers in the world gives you the facts.
Information courtesy of Bryan Uecker. Find these titles and more at the Book Nook & Java Shop, located at 8744 Ferry St. in Montague or online at www.thebooknookjavashop.com.
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