Shelf Help
- Monroe County Public Library
- May 8
- 15 min read
Updated: Oct 9
Every week, staff from the Monroe County Public Library recommend favorites from the collection.
You can request books online by logging in to the catalog and get eBooks and eAudiobooks 24/7 with the Libby app. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or pre-register online to get one (the pre-registration is good for 90 days; you can come to any of our branches to convert it to a card that's good for two years). Questions? Contact us here.
See Shelf Help recommendations from 2024 here and from 2022-23 here.
How To Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
Why: My formula for the perfect vacation read? No dense world-building, short chapters for easy dipping in and out, and a plot that holds your interest without demanding extreme focus. “How to Age Disgracefully” delivered perfectly on a recent beachside get-away.
Set in present-day West London, the story follows an endearingly oddball crew of seniors on a mission to save their neighborhood community center. Among them: a kleptomaniac out-of-work actor, a rebel yarn-bomber, an elegant widow with secrets, and Lydia, their hapless social club organizer. Far from fading quietly into the background, these spirited retirees combine their diverse talents to thwart bullies, exact revenge, and hatch a plan to save their community.
Witty and engaging, How to Age Disgracefully upends stereotypes about aging — without distracting from gently lapping waves or a golden Gulf sunset.
Where: You can borrow this as a print and large print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Anne Layton Rice, assistant director, support services
I See You've Called In Dead by John Kenney
Why: I started this book thinking it would be funny – an obituary writer posts his own obit, kinda sorta accidentally – and it is! I also thought, from the first chapter, that it was that familiar set-up of the middle-aged white dude, divorced and depressed, but still living in a pretty cool New York City apartment. And it kind of is. But it’s also much more nuanced: a comic novel about grief. After the disastrous drunk-post of his own obit, Bud Stanley starts attending memorial services for strangers while figuring himself out with the help of his best friend and landlord (see: cool New York City apartment) and others. Coping with the loss of a loved one is individual to each of us but the experience is sadly universal. This novel is that rare combination that makes you laugh, think and perhaps even cry. In a good way.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
Something Deeply Hidden by Sean Carroll
Why: As someone who struggled with math and was almost completely lost with physics, Sean Carroll has given me a second chance to better understand the world around us. Physics is the science that explores the laws that govern how the world works. Carroll provides a readable and easy-to-understand introduction to physics and more specifically to quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics deals with matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic (i. e. extremely small) level as opposed to classical physics or general relativity, which is concerned with larger phenomenon such as humans, planets and galaxies. Thankfully, Carroll keeps the math to a minimum. His narrative is spirited, straightforward and enjoyable. Why would anyone want to know more about quantum mechanics? Well, to begin with, the study of quantum mechanics has led to the development of MRI technology, the GPS unit in our cars and more recently, quantum computing which may lead to supercomputers able to advance medicine and other sciences far faster than today’s computers. At its most basic premise, quantum mechanics aims to discover the basic building blocks of everything, from subatomic particles to galaxies. I encourage you to discover for yourself a truly remarkable book on one of science’s greatest challenges. And thank you Professor Carroll for giving me a second chance.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book.
Recommended by: Richard H. Richardson, senior library assistant, Key West Library
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Why: My biggest problem with this first entry in the Murderbot Diaries is that it’s only 160 pages. I could listen in on the murderbot’s internal dialogue forever. They’re smart and funny and grouchy but also surprisingly ethical for an artificial construct. Especially one whose nickname comes from a massacre at a previous job (their memory was wiped so they don’t know exactly what they did or why – but now they’ve hacked their governor module and gone rogue so maybe they will find out … eventually). This novella is the basis for the Murderbot TV show on Apple+, though in a reverse of the usual page-to-screen process, the TV show had to expand on the plot to make a whole season. If you’ve watched the show or not, the book is well worth your time. And this is a series you should read in order.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook, or eAudiobook. It’s also available as a Book Club In A Bag.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
The Last Sunrise by Anna Todd
Why: The cover of this book promised a nice summer read in a paradisiacal setting, and Anna Todd did not disappoint. Oriah (Ry) Pera is a young adult whose health journey has delayed her coming-of-age story. When she has the opportunity to spend the summer in Mallorca, Spain, with her mother, she dives in head-first and quickly settles into the island life and a boyfriend. It is a summer of both firsts and lasts, and the reader experiences the adventures alongside Ry. Not usually drawn to light romance novels, I appreciate that the author provides good characters and story arcs while deftly handling complicated topics such as grief and depression.
And now I’m seriously craving paella!
Where: You can borrow this as a large print book.
Recommended by: Cindy Scofield, library associate, Key Largo Library branch
When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
Why: For science fiction that is smart, funny, humane, and highly entertaining, you can’t do better than John Scalzi. In this book, the moon suddenly, apparently, turns to cheese with all kinds of consequences. We observe these consequences through the viewpoints of scientists and astronauts, billionaires and retirees, with one chapter for each day in this loony lunar cycle punctuated by, of all things, an eclipse. It’s social satire, but not meanspirited. (OK, maybe it's a little bit mean about the character who is a kind of Elon Musk/Jeff Bezos mashup, but … ) And in an age when things you couldn’t imagine a few years ago regularly show up in your social media feeds and everyday conversations, is this really so implausible? I first learned about Scalzi from a recommendation in this very column (Redshirts, recommended by Big Pine Key Branch Manager Faith Ambrosini) and I’m so grateful. Even better, he’s got a long backlist so if you also enjoy his work, there’s plenty more on the shelves.
Where: You can borrow this as in regular or large print or as an eBook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
We Should All Be Birds: A Memoir by Brian Buckbee
Why: In this fascinating memoir, the author details his mysterious illness, as well as his encounter with an injured pigeon that seems to be seeking his help.
Sadly, Buckbee does not get a clear diagnosis while dealing with terrible symptoms of the mystery illness. But he shows how coming to the aid, care and friendship of this pigeon he names Two-Step – and many other pigeons and birds continuing to this day – is what gets him through it all. This story can give much comfort and understanding to so many who have terrible mystery illnesses that go undiagnosed, and they have to still live and cope best they can.
Where: You can borrow this as an eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Eva Stafford, cataloging manager
The Novel Life of Jane Austen: A graphic biography by Janine Barchas
Why: The older I get, the less I want to read a doorstop biography. With this year’s celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, I wanted to know the salient facts of her life but not devote weeks to the project. This book is the perfect answer – biography in graphic novel form. It’s a quick read that focuses on Austen’s path to writing and publication, as well as the economic uncertainty she faced along with her mother and fellow unmarried sister, Cassandra. It still seems like a miracle that she managed to produce such smart, funny social satires – that are also swoon-worthy love stories. She never married and died tragically young, at 41, but her legacy of searching for, and finding, love lives on in an ever-growing universe of readers and film and literary adaptations – many of which you can borrow from the library.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library. Find morre books and videos by, about and inspired by Jane Austen at keyslibraries.org/post/jane-austen-250.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Why: Garlic & the Vampire is the story of a sentient and very anxious little garlic bulb who goes on a quest to confront the vampire who recently moved into the nearby castle. Instead of a fearsome, bloodthirsty fiend, Garlic finds an ordinary person and discovers the community-building power of extending kindness and grace to strangers. The vampire, an avid gardener who goes by Count, befriends everyone at Garlic’s home farm and contributes positively to the neighborhood. It’s simply written and charmingly illustrated, presenting a timely moral: fearing and vilifying the unknown is nowhere near as uplifting as being nice.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Faith Ambrosini, Big Pine Key Library branch manager
Savage Appetites: Four true stories of women, crime, and obsession by Rachel Monroe
Why: The fascination of true crime for women has been endlessly exploited and ridiculed, from Lifetime movies to SNL skits about murder podcasts. Rachel Monroe examines this phenomenon more seriously, starting out at a CrimeCon – an Oxygen channel fan convention – and really digging deep into four archetypes with an individual woman who illustrates each: the detective, the victim, the defender and the killer. She adds her own experience and perspective, bringing an authentic personal voice without making it all about her. If you’ve ever binged a true crime podcast, or done a deep dive online about a particular case, this book will help you understand why these stories have such resonance, even if most of us are, statistically, pretty safe.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
Why: This story is about a solitary green notebook with a note by an eccentric, 79-year-old, lonely man who was an art teacher and had a wonderful life but is missing his wife who passed. In the notebook he asks readers to answer a question – "Everybody lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth?" He intentionally leaves it behind at a popular cafe and in turn that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendships, and even love. What I love about this sweet story is how it connects people from totally different walks of life but brings people to together in wonderful ways too.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book or eBook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Eva Stafford, cataloging manager
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Why: Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest installment of The Hunger Games series, and it left my jaw on the floor! As you read, you are swept back into the heavy world of Panem and taken back to the Hunger Games arena alongside the beloved character Haymitch to the 50th games.
Prepare yourself for an exhilarating ride filled with new characters to fall in love with – and inevitably, experience heartbreak over. This book is beautifully written and a captivating addition to the Hunger Games series! I apologize to anyone who receives a copy after me because there might be a few tears on the pages.
Filming has already begun for the next movie, which is set to be released in 2026!
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Kaleila Freeman, senior library assistant, Big Pine Key Library branch
Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
Why: This is the sequel to Vasti’s swoon-worthy debut Ne’er Duke Well! Lydia Hope-Wallace is a wallflower on the London mart and is very content to keep it that way. She’s been secretly publishing seditious pamphlets and working towards political reform. Through her anonymous publications, she’s begun a beguiling epistolary friendship with the Earl of Strathrannoch in Scotland. Lydia’s life spirals into a case of mistaken identity, espionage, a herd of zebras, a castle in dire need of repair, and an alluring (and grumpy) Scottish Laird! Vasti’s writing strikes the perfect balance between laugh-out-loud funny and steamy. The third novel, Ladies in Hating, is out in September 2025!
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Riona Campbell, senior library associate, Key West Library branch
Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle
Why: If you like historical fiction that breathes life into real-life figures who are not forgotten but whose individual experiences are not widely known – Elizabeth Fremantle is the writer for you. In books like Queen’s Gambit (re-released as Firebrand to coincide with the film adaptation), she shows us what life might have been like for Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife. In this novel, she brings us Artemisia Gentileschi, a wondrously talented painter in Renaissance Italy – who happened to be a woman. Her struggle to survive, and to paint the classical subjects from a woman’s point of view, make for a compelling tale. Unlike the well-trodden Tudors and other subjects, this is new material for those of us who are not art historians.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
Why: Middle-aged, widowed, with three grown kids, Twyla Banneker is charged with protecting the magical wilds of her home island as a Tanrian Marshal. Frank Ellis, Twyla’s next-door neighbor and best friend, is her partner for all of their marshal adventures. I love Twyla & Frank’s banter, the unrequited love, and magical hijinks mixed with nefarious plots. I don’t want to give away more, as this is a delight from start to finish. This is the sequel to Bannen’s The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy; although you don’t have to read it for this novel, I HIGHLY recommend it. The world building is second-to -none, and the vibe is impeccable. This series is composed of interconnected standalones.
Where: You can borrow this as an eBook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Riona Campbell, senior library associate, Key West Library
His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Why: From the title, you know dragons are involved in this book – but it’s no romantasy like the Empyrean series (Fourth Wing and sequels), and the dragons are a lot more interesting than those in the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones and sequels). This is the first book in the Temeraire series, named for the dragon we first get to know. It’s alternate, speculative history, set during the Napoleonic Wars. The dragons are sentient as well as highly intelligent and are used as a sort of air force/artillery by the warring nations. And they bond with the first human they see, in this book’s case a total accident that changes everyone’s lives and even the course of the war. This series owes a lot to Patrick O’Brian but also serves as a wish fulfillment for everyone who holds conversations in their heads with a beloved animal. Even better, the whole series is out so you can binge the whole thing.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Why: Romantasy is all the rage with the Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses series – this isn’t exactly that, but it is a female-centered fantasy adventure, set on the seas of the Indian Ocean in the 12th century. Amina al-Sirafi is a retired pirate, living peacefully with her mother and daughter. Naturally, she is dragged into one last mission, to save one of her former crewmates and earn a fortune for her family. Naturally, things go sideways pretty quickly. This book is in the tradition of tales from this time and world, but also something entirely new. Most importantly, it’s entertaining throughout, living up to the “adventure” in the title.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook or eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
Essex Dogs by Dan Jones
Why: My favorite kind of historical fiction illuminates a time and place through the lives of ordinary people. Dan Jones, a British historian you may recognize from TV, provides just that illumination for the opening salvos in what would come to be called the Hundred Years War. The Essex Dogs are not exactly a band of brothers, and they’re not all from Essex, but they are a mostly experienced small group of warriors pulled into service in 1346 to push the Plantagenets’ never-ending quest to take back French territory. This is an entertaining and informational adventure, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell. And we’ve also got the sequel, Wolves of Winter. Full disclosure: some online reviewers have complained about the profanity; I found it historically plausible for soldiers in those situations.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book or eBook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
Why: I’m back here to try and sell you on yet another novel about a wizard who wakes up with no memory and spends the book figuring out what’s going on. I know, I know “get a new oddly niche trope already” but hear me out: this one, Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, is really funny. It’s also sincere reflection on power that expectation bias, rejection, and imposter syndrome can hold over a person, as well as the role of intentionality in determining whether something (or someone) is inherently good or evil. At the end, I was left considering the question: if I did not know myself or my own history, would I like what I learned about me? Heavy stuff for a novel with great banter and clever one-liners that had me actually laughing out loud!
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Faith Price, branch manager, Big Pine Key Library branch
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
Why: Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner surprised me. I was not familiar with Kushner’s other books, but after finishing Creation Lake I will definitely be picking up her other novels. This book is about an American secret agent named Sadie Smith sent to rural France to investigate a radical farming commune. Sadie's glamour is balanced by her intelligence, cold demeanor and the grittiness of the people she investigates making her one of the best characters I’ve ever read. An interesting element to me is the environmental political themes in this book. I typically do not like to read about politics in fiction, but Kushner handles this differently. Its not your typical political spy or thriller novel. Readers of all genres should check out this 2024 Booker prize nominee.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Carly Neilson, senior library assistant, Key West Library
Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki
Why: This is a stunning collection of short stories by a woman who was a model, an actress, and the muse/spouse of both avant-garde jazz saxophonist Kaoru Abe and photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, but best known for her trenchant and prescient science fiction. Despite the fact that she died, tragically, by suicide in 1986, her preoccupations with gender, elements of social engineering, and media are more startlingly relevant than ever.
In "Women and Women," a kind of reverse “Handmaid's Tale,” men are relegated to internment camps, and sex between men and women is a closely guarded artifact of the past – until a schoolgirl starts experiencing visits from a mysterious figure. In "You May Dream," a government program to transfer dreams from one person to another raises questions about the nature of consciousness and the knowability of other minds. In "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," humans colonize a sensitive and perceptive alien people. A couple – one human, one alien – experience the intersocietal conflict as a lover's quarrel. In the titular piece, teenagers seek to numb themselves in a futuristic Tokyo through televised violence.
All of the stories share a profound sense of alienation – from one's gender, from other people, from society and its constraints. Like all great sci-fi, her work is deeply human and familiar, yet distant – like looking at your childhood home through the wrong end of a telescope. Suzuki deserves better than the cult status she's achieved; I hope her ever-rising profile prompts more English translations of her writing.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Laura Bernazzoli, library associate, Key West Library
Lost & Found: Reflections on Grief, Gratitude and Happiness by Kathryn Schulz
Why: Kathryn Schulz suffers a crushing loss when her father dies soon after she meets her future wife. These polar opposites meld together in this beautifully written memoir. Schulz writes with pitch-perfect prose of a cherished father, juxtaposed with the luck and “when you least expect it” nature of meeting the love of her life and intellectual equal. This odd timing reaffirms the fragility of life, the breathtaking agony of loss, and the mundane understanding that if not for such heartbreaking vastness of a heart missing its half, could a new a different half find safe harbor in that chasm.
Where: You can borrow this as a print book, eBook and eAudiobook from the Monroe County Public Library.
Recommended by: Amy Skerly, library assistant, Key West Library
