A few of our favorite books

Since we're giving away a $500 gift certificate to the independent bookstore of your choice during our Spring Member Drive, we decided to share a few of our favorite books on the blog. Feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments!

Carlene Ruesenberg, Database Manager

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - "The most hilarious cast of off-beat characters in New Orleans that you would ever meet.  I like to read it over and over again."

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen— "I’m a girl . . . need I say more?"

Abby Goldstein, Program Director

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole — "My favorite book of all time.  My brother actually recommended this book to me a very long time ago because he thought I’d love the colorful nature of the characters.  He was right.  The book centers around an enormous, opinionated and boisterous man named Ignatious P. Riley, who lives with his mother in New Orleans.  Ignatious has a series of adventures with characters whose paths cross in unusual and surprising ways.  This book captures the essence of New Orleans for me.  The story has a slow and leisurely pace to it, much like the pace of the neighborhoods of the city, but is punctuated with moments of mayhem, much like Mardi Gras.  The characters are so distinctive and unique, sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic and always bizarre.  The way people weave in and out of each other’s lives is similar to the way one would weave through the French Quarter, especially after a few adult beverages.  There’s also a playful innocence about the characters and the story, an innocence that gets mixed in with the seedy underworld and grime of the city.  Its full of contrasts between humor and sadness, poverty and wealth, apathy and burning desire to be happy.  I laugh out loud every time I read it."

Tara Mahady, Senior Director of Marketing and Development
 
My favorites by genre:

Poetry: New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver and Wild Iris by Louise Gluck

Environmental Literature:  An Unspoken Hunger by Terry Tempest Williams

Non-Fiction: Journal of a Solitude, by May Sarton

Short Story: The Dubliners by James Joyce

Fantasy: Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Fiction:  The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and The Hours by Michael Cunningham

Children’s Literature:  Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz

Becky Kates, Marketing and Development Associate

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. "A lyrical book, enchanting, grounding and magical."

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Berg. "Comforting to know that other people struggle too."

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. "Completely imaginative and enjoyable for all ages."

Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien. 

The Man Who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic. "Nonfiction book about the coolest sensory experience." 

Lisa Peakes, Morning Edition host

Brother Iron, Sister Steel by Dave Draper. "I like that Dave’s an eloquent writer. I think that is unusual in the world of sports manuals. I like that he talks about his faith but doesn’t hard-sell the issue. I like his sense of humor and humility and I like how he gave me hope that I could transform my physique and self by following some of the exercise routines and diet guidelines he lays out."

The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever

Andrew Parrella, Production Manager and Fundraising Producer

The Phantom Toll Booth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer — "This was the first 'big kid' book I read all by myself."

Endurance by Alfred Lansing — "The harrowing story of Shackleton’s trip to the South Pole, told in vivid detail by Lansing."

The Roald Dahl Omnibus by Roald Dahl — "A collection of his short stories for adults reveals a twisted sense of humor."

Kate McNally, The Folk Show host

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou — "The words on the pages of 'Caged Bird' sang to me, just as Maya Angelou’s voice seems to sing."

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells — "I couldn’t put the book down. I couldn’t wait to read more by the same author. It moved quickly like a roller coaster, making me laugh and cry and not wanting the ride to stop!"

Debra Daigle, Weekend host

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon — "This is a sort of murder mystery, but one told from the viewpoint of an autistic boy - 15-year-old Christopher Boone.  He is a mathematical genius with absolutely no social skills, raised by working-class parents who have serious problems coping with their son's condition.  Christopher has no filters; he takes everything he experiences at face value, and is not able to understand the behaviors of others, which seem very odd to him.  The plot involves Christopher trying to figure out who killed his neighbor's dog, Wellington, who was impaled by a pitchfork.  He is encouraged by his teacher to write a book about his investigations, and the result is this novel.  Chistopher's Sherlock Holmes-like quest takes him through many difficult, yet sometimes humorous twists & turns - including the secrets of his parents' marital problems. What I love about this novel is how Christopher's literal-minded observations make for some incredibly insightful conclusions.  As one critic so aptly put it, 'Hadden was able to write a book from Christopher's point of view with all his quirks, and still makes him lovable...Although Christopher cannot grasp subtlety and nuances, the reader can, and that's where the true force of this exceptional novel lies.'"

Amy Quinton, Reporter

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver — "I loved the way she told the story of a family through all the different character’s points of view, something that not too many people can get away with."

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver — "It’s a unique story told through the eyes of a true environmentalist."

All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren — "A great writer. When I read it in high school I realized the true meaning of symbolism."

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway — "No explanation needed."

Dan Ankeles, Exchange producer

Fear & Loathing On The Campaign Trail: 1972 by Hunter S. Thompson — "No other book captures the intensity and ruthlessness of a political campaign the way this book does."

Jane Thurston, Corporate Relations

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Avishay Artsy, Word of Mouth producer

No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July — "I wrote a review of it here"

Roger Parmelee, Evening host

Fathers Playing Catch With Sons by Donald Hall 

The Civil War by Shelby Foote — "A novelist’s three volume narrative history of THE cataclysmic struggle.  You’ll be amazed how quickly it went by and probably want to start it over again."

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara — "A novel of the Battle of Gettysburg.  A reading list mainstay and for good reason."

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins — "Eddie is on the bottom rung, or close to it, in the Boston underworld.  Everything about his life is difficult and nobody’s trying to make it any easier.  This ain’t your Godfather’s mob. Incredible dialogue."

Michelle McAdams, Development Manager

East of Eden by John Steinbeck — "Elegant language. Technically marvelous and an absorbing storyline to boot."

The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway — "Gorgeous, atmospheric, leave it to Hemingway to take you there."

"The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato (found in Book VII of The Republic) - "This short piece forever makes you question perception and reality."

Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber — "Not a deep read, but engrossing, beautifully textured, and deeply satisfying – especially for those cozy winter afternoons by the fire."

Lisey’s Story by Stephen King — "This is such a departure for King. I’ve never read anything quite like it."

Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald — "Heart-breaking but also lovely and fluid."

Donna Hiltz, Development and Traffic Coordinator

Hawaii by James Michener — "The first book my father and I had a serious, intelligent discussion about."

Michael Saffell, Director of Engineering

Flatland by Edwin Abbott — "I first read Flatland when I was young and have enjoyed reading it again, as well as other works it inspired over the years since. The book is written from the perspective of A. Square, a resident of Flatland. He is visited by a sphere who he thinks is a visitor from another world. As the sphere passes through the plane of Flatland and converses with A. Square, the angular member of the conversation begins to comprehend a world outside of his observable existence. The tables then turn as A. Square prods the sphere to think of dimensional possibilities beyond the third. At this, the sphere, though happy to bring enlightenment to those dimensionally lesser than he, is revolted at the suggestion of a fourth or more dimensions in 'his world.'  Abbott brings a level of understanding of what one can not readily comprehend by leveling us with the story’s sphere character, and then motivates us to think in a larger way by the same method."

A History of Science and Engineering in the Bell System: Switching Technology (1925-1975) by Bell Labs — "I enjoy this book for its comprehensive descriptions and illustrations of the way electronic information management matured during the middle of the 20th century. It traces the history of the level of human interaction, as well as the technology, needed to make the communications service that we today take for granted. From plug-board operators to the number 5ESS electronic switch, there is no better accounting of the ingenious solutions and iterations taken to bridge the gap from complete human control and accounting to the 1975 level of automation and reliability available to us for information switching and management."

Mark Bevis, News Director

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan — "A very memorable history of the Dust Bowl."

The Boys’ Crusade by Paul Fussell — "A firsthand account of being barely a man on the front lines in World War II."

The Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead — "After reading it you will never think of the Battle at Gettysburg the same way again."

Laura Knoy, host of The Exchange

"Some of my favorite books that I've read in recent years have been those included as part of NHPR's Writers on New England Stage series, our author series that we produce partnership with the Music Hall in Portsmouth. I'll mention three here that I really enjoyed.

"My all time favorite was also by far the longest book - Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, about Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet. I think it was 756 pages, but it flew. Kearns Goodwin keeps the pace going, by switching the action among three main facets of Lincoln and his colleagues' lives: the political, the personal, and the Civil War. We get to know the President and his team so well - how they lived, what their families were like, how they socialized, how they felt about each other. It was such a compelling book - I got so hooked by these people - that at the end, even though I knew darn well Lincoln would die - I kept hoping that he'd somehow escape, and of course, cried at the end when he didn't.

"Other favorites from the series include Anita Diamant's The Last Days of Dogtown, also with an historical bent, although this is a work of fiction based loosely on a Massachusetts town that did really exist, placed sometime after the Revolutionary War. It's about a coastal community that is mostly populated by women and is slowly dying out. It gives readers a powerful sense of how very hard life was in the early days of our nation, paints a wonderful picture of coastal Massachusetts fishing communities, and includes lots of compelling characters, male and female.

"One more book from the series I'd like to mention is Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs. It takes place in a rather sad mill town in Upstate New York. It's a reflective novel - of two men, friends as teens, who are turning sixty. They're both looking back over the events of their lives. One man never left the town, loves it despite its obvious flaws, and finds some calm, modest success in life. The other man left town as soon as he could, as a young man, roamed the country and became a world-famous artist. I won't give away the plot too much here, but suffice it to say, I found it a very satisfying read."

Brady Carlson, webmaster

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - "Its length aside, this book is just huge in its scope and storytelling."

Our Dumb Century by The Onion - "Everybody today does what The Onion does but almost never as well. That's because they know their history - this is the proof."

Billy and the Boingers Bootleg by Berke Breathed - "Bloom County in its prime. Are there comic artists this good today? If so, please write and let me know."

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin - "Could there be a better title to a book? And the story is just as good as the title. A riot - and the sequels are equally wonderful."

Without Feathers by Woody Allen - "'Should I marry W.? Not if she won't tell me the other letters in her name.' Ridiculous to the point of high comic art - or is that high comic art to the point of ridiculousness?"

Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga by Stephen Davis - "Every rock band bio should be this bombastic and unintentionally hilarious."