Blog Post by the BookMatch team
Are you looking for love this Valentine’s Day? While we may not be able to help you with a real-life romance, Book Match is here to help you find a new book love this month! We love connecting people and books, and would love to be able to pair you up with a fabulous read (or two or three!) Read through some of the books our matchmakers love, and if you’d like us to match you up with some great reads, fill out the general questionnaire, or click on a matchmaker’s profile to request a list from them directly!
One book I love that I recommend regularly is 11/22/63 by Steven King. This is not what you would think Steven King normally would be, with scares and gore. It’s historical fiction/alternate history meets science fiction meets mystery, with a little romance thrown in; it has a little bit of something for everyone. And the audiobook is fantastic; the narrator (Craig Wasson) has a voice that just pulls you in and makes you want to keep listening. It is a long book but one that will make you wonder “what if?”.
I love Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. A satire from the 1930s, it's about an overeducated young woman named Flora who decides to go live with her less well-bred relatives at Cold Comfort Farm, Howling, Sussex, after her parents die. Flora arrives and finds much gnashing of teeth from the Starkadders. There is Amos, crazed with religious mania; Seth, who seduces all the villagers but only likes the movies; Reuben, who counts the chicken feathers every morning; Adam Lambsbreath, who cares only for his cows; Elfine, who runs wild through the countryside; and of course Great Aunt Ada Doom (who saw something nasty in the woodshed). Everyone lives in fear of the flowering of the sukebind, which causes chaos and ruin. But there have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm...absolutely over the top and laugh out loud funny.
As a kid, I used to love to crawl up with a mystery on a rainy day. This book might be my favorite title for exactly that! Howliday Inn by James Howe is told from the point of view of a dog in a very odd family--one that includes a paranoid genius cat and a bunny that might just be a vampire. This is a great book for kids who want a well-crafted mystery, but who also love the humor of books like Dogman or the Wayside School books. Harold is pitch perfect as Dr. Watson to Chester's Holmes, and the mystery will keep you on your toes.
The Line that Held Us by David Joy. Why? Although it's gritty mountain noir, it shows our humanity, how connected we all are, and how one mistake can have ramifications that trickle down to affect so many lives. Would it not be best to stop hate and revenge in its tracks by breaking the cycle?
A book I love would be A Sign of Affection by suu Morishita. The love story is so nice and wholesome, and it is so rare to find manga with sign language. Itsuomi is a world traveler and loves to learn new languages and sign language is no different. He is drawn to Yuki though in a different way and feelings start to blossom with these two!
I love Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I love the atmosphere and historical feel of the book, as you feel like you’ve stepped into 1920’s Mexico alongside Casiopea Tun. Add in the Mayan mythology and a quest into the underworld, and this turned out to be a captivating read.
Looking for more books? Or are you interested in other themes? Reach out to the Book Match team and get personalized recommendations based on what you like to read! Readers one and all, AC Library’s matchmakers keep up to date on books across a wide range of genres, from science fiction and fantasy to cookbooks and memoirs. Whether you’re looking for your next sweet graphic novel or a seat-of-your-pants thriller, Book Match can create a customized reading list just for you!
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