Monday is Labor Day, holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. While the library will not be open on Labor Day, we did put together a list of books for all ages…
Last week, I made a post about the literary career of Octavia E. Butler in celebration of her receiving the inaugural Infinity Award, which is meant to honor authors who have passed but whose legacies live on. To celebrate not just her career, but also her legacy, I wanted to put together a companion reading…
In May, Octavia E. Butler was awarded the inaugural Infinity Award, which aims to award writers who’ve passed but whose legacies continue to inspire. To celebrate her legacy, I wrote a small piece about her works in the library’s monthly newsletter about diversity of social and family situations, All Kinds of Lives. I have expanded…
July is known as Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. That same year, Boston held the first Disability Pride Day. This month is meant to celebrate disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of…
Autumn tends to be the season that gets the most credit for being the spooky season, but summer offers its own opportunities for thrills and chills- summer camp shenanigans, vacations gone wrong, cult rituals, and more! Now that it’s officially summer, I wanted to compile a list of some great horror books and movies set…
The Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, but it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay,…
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. This month-long celebration demonstrates how LGBTQ Americans have strengthened our country, by using our…
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! This month gives us the opportunity to celebrate the diverse and vibrant history, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans through the years. There area many ways to celebrate Jewish American Heritage. One way we are celebrating at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers is through this reading list that…
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10,…
Earth Day is April 22nd! There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day, and one of the ways we are celebrating at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers is through this discovery list of books and movies for all ages to enjoy about eco-friendly activities, climate justice, Indigenous land stewardship, sustainable living, enjoying the beauty…
April 11th is national pet day! To celebrate at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, we have compiled a discovery list of books and movies that our pets recommend! Tessie Recommends: The Beagle Handbook by Dan Rice Here is detailed advice for owners of this cheerful breed, which is adaptable as a hunter or a…
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California as a “Women’s History Week” in 1978, which corresponded with March 8, the International Women’s Day. In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups successfully worked together and lobbied for national recognition of Women’s History Week. Women’s History Week was celebrated in March until…
It is award season! In celebration with the 95th Academy Awards ceremony tomorrow night, we have compiled a list of recommendations based on nominees. This discovery list includes at least one book recommendation for every film nominated in the Best Picture category. All Quiet on the Western Front If All Quiet on the Western Front…
February is Black History Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.…
January 27th marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. In 2005, the United Nations declared the 27th of January to be International Holocaust Remembrance Day in honor of this anniversary. To commemorate this day, the UN urges us to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of…
We mystery lovers have many good choices for Native American Heritage Month. Here are just a few. Tony and Anne Hillerman’s acclaimed Joe Leaphorn & Jim Chee and Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series set in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest and featuring Navajo detectives Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette Manuelito. Tony…
November is Native American Heritage Month. The National Congress of American Indians tells us: [t]he month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general…
Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan’s newest collaborative mystery novel came out early last month and still has a long line of readers excited to check out this new title! Here are some similar titles to keep you occupied while you wait for a copy of Mad Honey to make its way to you: featuring…
Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15-October 15 every year. This reading list highlights 30 titles (non-fiction and fiction for adults, children, and young adults) by Latinx authors available here at the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers.
If you liked Jen’s recommendation of Watergate: A New History by Garret M. Graf check out her Watergate reading list A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures by Ben Bradlee This is the witty, candid story of a daring young man who made his own way to the heights of American journalism and public life, of…
These books explore the experience of people from around the world who seek safety and a peaceful life after their countries are torn apart by war. Click For More Titles
In March 2007 the United Nations desiganted March 25 as a day to honor and remember the victoms of slavery and the internation slave trade. If you would like to observe this day of rememberance, the library is providing this reading list. This is by no means an exhaustive list on this topic. If you…
Here are some of the staff’s favorite audiobooks. Perfect for your commute, a quiet walk or a workout at the gym. Where possible we’ve linked them to our digital download services Overdrive (aka Libby) or Hoopla but they are often available in other audio formats as well. Check our catalog. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa…
Hear Us Out by Nancy Garden Nancy Garden, author of popular LGBTQ+ book Annie on My Mind set out in Hear Us Out! to bring life to the history and struggles behind the LGBTQ+ community. In this non-fiction book, Garden weaves together two tales, one from the 1950’s and one from the 2000’s, both of which…
As I find the process fascinating, how it varies writer by writer, I often go for books on the ins and outs of the craft. The following are titles I’ve enjoyed over the last few months. The Triggering Town: Lectures and Essays on Poetry and Writing – Richard Hugo “Richard Hugo, whom Carolyn Kizer called…
Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (March 10) because it’s the sequel to The Bromance Book Club If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane (March 24) because it’s a “social media fauxmance” You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle (April 7) because it’s a lovers to enemies to lovers romantic comedy The Happy Ever…
Because I can not help but fall down a rabbit hole when I stumble on one, as I have been reading Lakota America, I’ve also been putting together a Plains Indian reading list. This is by no means and exhaustive list but more of a combination of new books and classics on a very complex…
In our Today In History Reading List feature, we take the events of a particular day in history and try to give you a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction relating to those events. 1571 Royal Exchange Opens in London The Royal Exchange of London was based loosely on a similar institution in…
A New Year And New History Books To Enjoy In It. Here are a few of the history books coming out in the new year that we are looking forward to. Queen of the World: Elizabeth II: Sovereign and Stateswoman. by Robert Hardman On today’s world stage, there is one leader who stands apart from…
Whoa whoa whoa whoa. You’re looking for something that just might fill that Peter Kavinsky-sized hole you can’t seem to get over after watching To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before roughly a gazillion times? Those are some big Converses to fill, but perhaps one of the books on this list will come close. (Maybe?)…
Wuthering Heights was a tough read for this cynophilist, and I’ve often wondered if I would have enjoyed it more had the dogs in the book not suffered a cruel fate. To this day, having read the book years upon years ago, what sticks in memory most tenaciously is wrapped around dogs – and that Heathcliff…
In our Today In History Reading List feature, we take the events of a particular day in history and try to give you a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction relating to those events. 306 Constantine I is Declared Emperor of Rome By His Troops. Constantine was born in the Balkans and like…
About Man In An Orange Shirt: “From novelist Patrick Gale, this is a tender, powerful film sure to spark conversation about outdated attitudes and equal rights. Two love stories set 60 years apart are linked by a secret that echoes through generations, from a forbidden relationship impossible during WWII, contrasted with a present-day romance that…
Find these books and more in Patrick’s display on the 3rd floor: What Science Has Done: A Miscellany of the Unusual and Amazing. Tyson, Neil deGrasse Astrophysics for people in a hurry Summary:"The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within…
In our Today In History Reading List feature, we take the events of a particular day in history and try to give you a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction relating to those events. 1685 James Scott Duke of Monmouth declares himself King sparking the Monmouth Rebellion James Scott was Charles II’s illegitimate…
In our Today In History Reading List feature, we take the events of a particular day in history and try to give you a work of fiction and a work of non-fiction relating to those events. 1430 Joan of Arc Captured by the Burgundians During the Hundred Years War, Burgundians, allied with the English, laid…
Conant, Jennet. A covert affair : Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS Summary:A stunning account of Julia Child’s early life as an OSS agent in the Far East. Prud’homme, Alex France is a feast : the photographic journey of Paul and Julia Child Summary:Through intimate and compelling photographs taken by her husband Paul…
We asked our staff for the titles of books they read and loved this year. Here are the ones they shared. Happy reading! The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas “Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between…
Get in the spirit with a cozy mystery! Print the list below or keep reading for summaries of each title.
Several books found their way into the hands of Frank Castle & company in Marvel’s latest Netflix offering. If you want to read along, here are the titles you’ll need to check out: Moby Dick – Herman Melville “Ignoring prophecies of doom, the seafarer Ishmael joins the crew of a whaling expedition that is an…
Ever thought that if classics were read along with biographies of the people who wrote them they would be easier to understand? We have. So we’ve put together a reading list and a display pairing famous authors’ books with their biographies Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir A study in scarlet Summary:In 1887, a young Arthur Conan…
“We tell ourselves stories to live…” It’s a boon if you’ve dipped into Joan Didion’s oeuvre prior to watching The Center Will Not Hold (directed by Didion’s nephew Griffin Dunne), but is it necessary? In my opinion, no. As a journalist or in her essays, Didion covered several impactful events in recent history, and this documentary…
Aliens: The World’s Leading Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life By Jim Al-Khalili Is there anybody out there? Are we all alone in the cosmos? Science hasn’t answered this question yet, but it’s not for lack of trying. This book contains essays from some of the world’s leading astrophysicists, cosmologists, geneticists and NASA planetary…
Archer, Jeffrey And thereby hangs a tale Summary:Fifteen short pieces are set in various world regions and include “Members Only,” in which a young man’s life is transformed by a Christmas cracker. Barry, Kevin Dark lies the island Summary:This is a collection of stories about love and cruelty, crimes, desperation, and hope from the man…
Louise Penny’s latest book, Glass Houses, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. If you’re a fan of Inspector Gamache, but are still waiting for your copy, here are some series to try in the meantime. Guido Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon Donna Leon writes the Guido Brunetti mysteries, whose protagonist is…
What better way to celebrate than with a new YA novel, but if you’re not sure which to pick up next, we have a few suggestions: Reserve John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down and we’ll let you know when a copy is available for you. “It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the…
Amy, one of our junior pages, really enjoyed these books (especially the first one on the list!), and thought that a young reader in your home might, too. Trumpet of the Swan – E. B. White “Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis…
The Armchair Scientist: A quarterly roundup of the latest updates to our science collection with a spotlight on: The Science of Self-Care. Are You Getting Enough Sleep? The mystery of sleep: why a good night’s rest is vital to a better, healthier life Written by Meir Kryger, M.D., The Mystery of Sleep offers an up close and personal look…
It’s August and the Sun is Shining. C’mon Get Happy! From Ivy League towers to your local public library, books on the elusive science of happiness have been hitting the shelves. It looks like most people could use a little boost in the happiness department… but why is it that we all feel that way?…
Anthony Horowitz’s ode to Golden Age detective novels handily lends itself to a long list of readalike titles. Whether you’re in the mood for another mystery, one with a similar tone to tide you over until Magpie‘s queue turns in your favor, or for a little background information on the authors who excelled in visiting…
Seen the movie? Now read about it! Graphic Novels, Non-fiction and more… Also check out the Read This Display next time you are in the library. The Graphic Novels Bennett, Marguerite Bombshells. Allies Volume 2, Summary:“Based on the hit DC Collectibles product line! As World War II rages across Europe, the Allied forces issue a…
A quarterly roundup of the latest updates to our science collection with a spotlight on: Nature The Earth The Ground Beneath Us: From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us About Who We Are (March 2017) How many of us have given much thought to the ground beneath our feet?…
Some books to for you to read before, during or after watching American Gods More From Neil Gaiman Gaiman, Neil Anansi boys : a novel Summary:Charles Fat Charlie Nancy leads a normal, boring existence in London. However, when he calls the U.S. to invite his estranged father to his wedding, he learns that the man…
As we move (all too) slowly into spring and summer my thoughts, like many, turn to long walks in interesting places. With that in mind I thought our section of hiking books could use an upgrade. Check out the GV section of the New Books Room for the result. In the mean time check out…
The latest updates to our science collection with a spotlight on: Physics Everyday Physics Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (October 2014) Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, one of the founders of quantum loop gravity theory, breaks down some of the most basic laws and theorems acknowledged by contemporary physics. Not bad for a tiny volume that,…
Michael Eric Dyson’s Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America came out last month and, let me just tell you, it is making me seriously think about my privilege as an upper-middle-class white lady, living in a liberal part of a liberal state. In an interview for The New York Times Magazine, Dyson states that the book’s ideal audience…
Sometimes there’s a collection of books at the library that we feel just needs to be noticed. Our books on cartography and maps.fall into that catagory. Its a large collection of books that are scattered around the library. We’ve got everything from Atlases of Civil War Battles to fantasy fiction centered around map making. Here…
Have a special book lover in your life and don’t know what to get them? Well the staff at the Peabody Institute Library Danvers have you covered. Below are some of our favorite books that we think will make great gifts. Anderson, Scott Lawrence In Arabia: War Deceit Imperial Folly And The Making Of The…
Reading List Curated by Rachel Although I picked up Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World for its charming illustrations, the content is fascinating and makes me want to seek out everything I can on even more rad women. Feel the same way? Here are a few to get started! Ada’s Algorithm:…
The Noir Headhunters Nesbo, Jo Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter, and he’s a master of his profession. But one career simply can’t support his luxurious lifestyle and his wife’s fledgling art gallery. At an art opening one night he meets Clas Greve, who is not only the perfect candidate for a major CEO job, but…
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin Set in the untamed American West, a highly original and haunting debut novel about a makeshift family whose dramatic lives are shaped by violence, love, and an indelible connection to the land. Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen Marine biologist Chaz Perrone can’t tell a sea horse from a sawhorse. And…
Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle by Mark Braude. A rollicking narrative history of Monte Carlo, capturing its nineteenth-century rise as the world’s first modern casino-resort and its Jazz Age heyday as infamous playground of the rich. [GoodReads] The Other Side of Silence by Philip Kerr. The war is over. Bernie Gunther,…
Reading list curated by Tracy | The Summer Olympics are around the corner, with the opening ceremony set to take place Friday, August 5th. To help you get inspired and excited for the Olympics, we’ve compiled a list of nonfiction and fiction books related to the Olympics as well as nonfiction books on the topic…
We asked our staff to list four books they planned to read over the summer – here are the titles they responded with: The Woman in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware “In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been…
Reading list curated by Rachel Nominees for the 2016 Tony Awards were announced May 3rd and – no surprise here – Hamilton snagged a record-breaking sixteen, but there’s more to Broadway than just a genre-spanning musical about dead white guys. (Even though it’s awesome!) While there were twenty-six musicals and plays nominated, this list is…
To celebrate National Poetry Month, we’ve put together a reading list based on the works and lives of New England poets. It’s by no means an exhaustive list; the majority of the poets included here are practically household names (I’m looking at you, Robert Frost. You too, Emily Dickinson). You’ll find below: biographies, letters, fictionalized…
Very rarely do I place library holds on new releases – either because I can’t predict when a book will find its way to me (when I’m in the middle of something else??) or because there just isn’t anything I absolutely have to read right away. And then there are these titles: The City of…
Over the past year or so I’ve noticed an uptick in books being published about Irish history. It only occurred to me last week that the reason for this uptick was probably the up coming hundredth anniversary of the Easter Rising (April 24-29). Given the holiday I thought it appropriate to give you a list…
Perhaps you’ve seen Hamilton: An American Musical? Or read Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton, the biographical seed of inspiration that grew into the musical? Or perhaps the buzz has simply piqued your interest? From biographies of people like Burr, Lafayette, Jefferson and Hamilton himself to stories of the creation of the United States of America, we’ve got…
This is a reading list for those who need a little Star Wars fix leading up to seeing the The Force Awakens, or after having seen it. This is not an exhaustive list that includes, in no particular order, books from both Canon (books published after April 2014) and Legends (books from the original Star…
You’ve already read Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whale Ship Essex, you’re this-close to making plans to see the film (starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw), and the whole thing has provoked a deeper curiosity about the whaling industry, perhaps, or maybe you’d like to read…
A selection of these and other titles on France can be found on display just beyond the New Book Room. Fiction: Murder in the Marais (An Aimee Leduc Investigation) by Cara Black “Private investigator Aimée Leduc must decrypt a digitized photo from the 1940s. But when Aimée visits the historic Jewish quarter of Paris to…
When we first conceived of the Reading Intersections feature, one of the first books that came to mind to use as a springboard was Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, but I didn’t want to use the too-broad theme of private schools…And then I had it: The only way to go theme-wise was with Bad Decisions.
Immerse yourself in the world of letters–real and imagined.
Fall down the rabbit hole with us! In our Reading Intersections series, we’ll give you a place to start and where to go next, piling titles on until you’re neck-deep in books, graphic novels and movies on a similar theme. Hold onto your hats and holsters, folks, you’re about to meet several headstrong, gun-slinging women…
May 7 will be the 100 anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania (see Chris’s review of Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy and the End of the Edwardian Age) by German U-20 off the Irish coast. Like a lot of anniversaries of major historical events this one has spawned a lot of books on the subject. Here…
So you’ve seen the recently released Kingsman: The Secret Service and have been bitten by the spy craft bug. One: Trust me, you’re not alone. Two: We can help fill the time between now and when you go back to the theater to see the movie again, or between now and when it’s released on DVD, whichver is in keeping with how you roll. The majority of the titles on this list, both fiction and non-fiction, can be found on display in the new book room.
Sons of Liberty priemeres on History Channel on January 25th. Get caught up in the Revolution, and then stop by the library to check out our display of books dedicated to this rabble-rousing lot and other key Revolutionary figures; look for the display just beyond the new book room.
Because you know you have always wanted one. Ok maybe not but if you are into either European, African or Middle Eastern history you should really check them out. They started out as a tribe of Turkish horsemen wandering around in Anatolia. While still basically a nomadic horde (although they were early adopters of artillery)…
August 1, 2014 marks the hundred year anniversary of the out break of World War I. The world wide tragedy that took the lives of millions, wounded and crippled millions more, and forever reshaped society has fascinated and horrified authors for ages. Here is a World War I reading list that attempts to give you…
“Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited…
“BBC AMERICA’s new co-production drama series, The Musketeers, is set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is an idea more than a reality. In addition to being King Louis XIII’s personal bodyguards, Athos, Aramis and Porthos stand resolutely for social justice, honor, valor, love – and for the thrill of…
A mysterious drifter and an ardent Japanese warrior both arrive in a town terrorized by criminals. Guided by The Bartender at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two join forces to bring down the corrupt reign of Nicola and his lady Alexandra. Remember Ethan Chandler (from this post on Showtime’s Penny Dreadful)? Well. Josh Hartnett plays…
Jim and I (Michelle) are fans of Showtime’s new series Penny Dreadful, which takes and twists classic literary characters and throws them in with original (or are they?) characters, where they get down to business (see also: wreak havoc) in the ballrooms and back alleys of 19th century London…
“Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders.” [Image & Text: Murdoch Mysteries Official Website] You may…