For those of you who loved ESPN’s Stuart Scott, may I present to you his autobiography, finished shortly before he lost his battle with cancer in January of this year, at the age of 49. Scott's legacy included becoming the most popular and recognized sports anchor of his generation, coining terms such as "cool as the other side of the pillow" and of course, "Boo-yah!"

Every Day I Fight chronicles Scott’s childhood, career, and his 8-year fight with cancer – fighting every day to stay alive because he could not leave his daughters. Through his memoir we learn that behind the face of SportsCenter was a true family man, who felt being a dad was the most important thing he’d ever done.

I always look forward to a new novel from Anne Tyler and put it on hold as soon as announced. Spool of Blue Thread, her 20th novel and published in early February, has received strong reviews. I agree.

Once again, the setting is Baltimore and the characters are an ordinary family. Like most families though, there are back stories, history, celebrations, family dynamics.

The overarching theme is the uncomfortable shift that occurs in families as the parents decline and the grown children and parents begin to exchange roles. The story follows three generations of the Whitshank family centering on the stately home which has become part of the family lore.

Tyler’s manner of storytelling and her insight into the ordinariness of family life always results in a satisfying read for me.

A Library Book For
Bear by Bonny Becker with illustrations by Kady MacDonald Denton is a
humorous picture book about a bear who had never been to the library.

One morning, Bear hears a tapping at his door. He sees the
bright-eyed face of his fervent friend
Mouse who is excited to take Bear to the library to show him around, and
because he thinks that it’s just a doggone fun place to visit. While previously
Bear did promise to accompany Mouse, today he thinks that this expedition will
be a complete waste of his very precious time. After all, he already owned a
grand total of seven books and believed that this private collection would more
than adequately cover his needs for the foreseeable future. But a promise is a
promise, so off they go.

Upon their arrival, a very grumpy Bear is once again quick
to criticize. In his estimation, the library building is much too big and contains
“far too many books”. All this, he declares, is nothing more than pure excess.

But enthusiastic Mouse persists with positives, pointing out
that the library is quite exciting and declares that he will find Bear a
perfect book about pickles, since pickles is the one topic that Bear seems to
find most intellectually stimulating. But no matter which title Mouse suggests,
Bear is dismissive of the selections and voices his displeasure in a very loud
and disruptive manner.

Before long, he is shushed into quiet by two mothers (one
squirrel, the other raccoon), whose youngsters are gathered around a smiling
librarian conducting story time. Bear is upset at being told to quiet down and
wants to leave the library pronto.

However, on his way to the exit, he overhears the librarian
read a story about a very brave bear and a treasure chest filled with very
special pickle slices. Oh my, Bear becomes entranced, and it is now he who
quickly tells Mouse to quiet down!

After story time, Bear checks out a number of new books
including one titled “The Very Brave Bear and the Treasure of Pickle Island”,
which Bear reads to Mouse back at his home that very same day.

Wonderfully expressive illustrations compliment this top
notch choice for young children, that gently promotes libraries and all that
they offer!

And it’s a great selection to celebrate “Read Across America
Day”, March 2nd, 2015.

Here's a 2014 book that I probably would have passed by if I hadn't seen a review of it which told of the author's connection to Michigan. Subtitled 'A Memoir of Food & Love from an American Midwest Family,' it's a collection of brief stories and recipes by Kathleen Flinn, who grew up near Flint. The stories are about her rural upbringing as half Irish and half Swedish, but the food descriptions and recipes she includes would transcend several nationalities. Some of the recipes are for foods I grew up with as well, such as the apple crisp and oatmeal cookies. For a retrospective on Michigan rural culture and cuisine, try this one.

Hoot Owl is hungry. He is also clever, and a self proclaimed master of disguise. This wonderful new picture book, Hoot Owl by Sean Taylor, shows Owl first disguising himself as a large carrot to catch an unsuspecting rabbit. But Rabbit, not fooled, hops on by. Owl devises costumes as a birdbath, and as a sheep, with no success. How he manages to snag a tasty meal of pizza makes for a clever solution.

Illustrator Jean Jullien has perfectly captured the spirit of the story, and his large, colorful pictures add to the silliness. This is a wonderful book for sharing with a child!

Americanah, which refers to a person who returns to Nigeria after time abroad, is a 15-year saga centering on Ifemelu, who grew up in poverty in Lagos, but managed to come to the US. Culture shock, poverty, and racism leave her feeling as if she has “cement in her soul” and she defines herself as a “Non-American Black.”

This is a novel about leaving home behind, independence, integrity, not being sure where one “fits,” both in the US and back home in Nigeria.

Its inclusion on many “best of” lists for 2014 and significant media attention is well deserved. One reviewer considers it a “world-class novel.”

Juan Felipe Herrera is the California Poet Laureate. He has collaborated with Raúl Colón, the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, to create Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes, the 2015 Pura Belpré Author Honor book. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. There are also Illustrator and Author Honor books, like this one. It's nice to have a high quality, beautifully illustrated book like this that can also be used for help with homework reports about famous Americans.

New York Times journalist David Carr died yesterday at the age of 58. His critically acclaimed 2008 memoir Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life, His Own shined a light upon his struggles with addiction. Even as he rose through the professional ranks as a feisty and hard-nosed reporter, Carr’s life spun out of control, leading to homelessness and eventually to recovery. Carr was also prominently featured in the 2011 documentary film Page One: Inside the New York Times, a portrait of a year in the life of several New York Times reporters.

After seeing first-time novelist David Shafer’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on a few Best of 2014 lists, I finally found a gap in my ‘must read now’ list of books and picked it up last weekend. I’m happy to report that it deserves its place on those best of lists. The book is hard to pin down. It is part hyper-paranoid techno-thriller (think late William Gibson) and part smart literary fiction with a sarcastic bent (think Dave Eggers), but it certainly qualifies as a page-turner and I found it to be a fun read. At least as fun as up-to-the-minute plausible fiction about a looming shadow digital oligarchy can be.

Based on how the books are flying off our Library Reads display at the Central Library, we gather that this has become a trusted place to find some great books to read.

Librarians got the idea for the monthly Library Reads Top 10 list from independent booksellers who started putting together a monthly Top 20 list called Indie Next. Because of how much you love the Library Reads display, we decided to use another one of our display locations to feature books on the Indie Next list.

Check it out in the rotunda of the Central Library where you will find “inspired recommendations from independent booksellers.”