One of the Best Books I Read in 2015: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted starts with a fairly predictable fantasy novel set up: the unremarkable main character, Agnieszka, has lived an unremarkable life, in an unremarkable small village, and has every reason to believe that her talented and beautiful best friend is the one destined for greatness. Of course it's Agnieszka who is tapped by fate for something more, assuming she can learn to trust in her own abilities.

Uprooted is Naomi Novik's first stand-alone fantasy novel (she's well know for her Temeraire series), and it is a delightful story with tons of appeal. I was impressed by the way she captured the feel of a familiar fairy tale while still telling an inventive and original story. I especially enjoyed the way that Novik handled the romantic subplot (warning: things do get rather steamy).

And because I can't limit myself to just one fantasy recommendation, here are two of my other favorites from 2015:

• The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

~Sarah, Adult Services

One of the Best Books I Read in 2015: You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

Celebrity memoirs are a sort of guilty pleasure for me, but unlike the creepy paparazzi pictures of a celebrity's beach vacation, a memoir allows the author a choice in what details to share about their life and mind. Which is why I especially love to listen to a memoir when the author narrates the audiobook herself. My favorite of 2015 was You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day.

When it comes to specifics, Felicia Day and I don't have much of anything in common. I'm not a violin prodigy. I wasn't homeschooled. I'm not a fan of math. And I'm definitely not a famous television actress. But I do have my own experiences as a quirky, awkward, perfectionist misfit, which made her story very easy to relate to. Her writing was both entertaining and inspirational, and her narration added to the book's overall warmth.

If you only listen to one celebrity memoir by a comedic actress this year, I highly recommend Felicia Day's. But if you're like me and one isn't enough, I can also recommend:

• Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
• Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation by Aisha Tyler

 ~Sarah, Adult Services

One of the Best Books I Read in 2015: The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo

The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo may not have been the most well written book I've read in 2015, but its one that I really enjoyed.

Mattie is the kind of girl that when given two choices will always make the wrong one.  She is smart and mostly likable but has a lot of baggage in her life that she just can't seem to lose. She never knew her father and her mother drowned her own disappointments in alcohol before she died.

The story opens with a pregnant Mattie breaking up with her loser boyfriend and packing all of her belongings (six garbage bags full) into her beat-up car and heading out to her mother's home town in Oklahoma.  She has just found out that her grandmother has left her an inheritance so she is hoping this will be the answer to a new start for her.  Upon arriving in Gandy, OK, Mattie discovers that she will not be inheriting as much as she had hoped for.  Like a true survivor she manages to lie and manipulate the people of the town who knew her mother and grandmother into helping her, or at least tolerating her.

Mattie soon discovers that her mother was much more than the person she became.  There is a mystery in town about why this golden girl suddenly packed up and left town over 30 years ago.  The deeper Mattie digs, the less clear things become.  Along the way you meet an interesting cast of characters who all have problems of their own and know more than they are willing to share.

There are some very poignant moments in this book and some laugh out loud moments too.  Mattie is very self-deprecating and funny and very aware of her lack of good judgement.  With every failure to do the right thing comes another promise to herself that she's going to get her life figured out.  I found myself caring about and cheering on this messed up young woman, waiting for her to ultimately grow up.

~Michelle, Circulation