All the books listed here are available at the library. Stop in, give us a call, or use the online catalog to place a hold and check one out. All book descriptions are provided by the publisher on the back of the book, on Goodreads, or through the library catalog.
Watching the Oscars on March 2? Check out these books that were adapted into Best Picture Winners!
American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin: The definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb and later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress. The film Oppenheimer won Best Picture for 2023. This book also won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for biography, so you can read it for the Spring Reading Challenge! Available on Boundless (audio/e-book), Libby (audio), and Hoopla (audio).
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup: This autobiography follows Solomon, a black man born free in New York state, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana where he remained for the next twelve years. This harrowing, page-turning narrative shines a light on a portion of American history that is hard but extremely important to read about. The film 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture for 2013. Available on Boundless (e-book), Libby (audio/e-book), and Hoopla (audio/e-book).
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy: When Llewellyn Moss finds a load of heroin and two million dollars inside a pickup truck surrounded by dead men, he decides to take the money and run. He ends up setting off a chain reaction that cannot be contained. The film, No Country for Old Men won Best Picture for 2007. Available on Boundless (e-book), Hoopla (audio), and Kanopy (film).
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: Following the lives of four people living in an Italian villa at the end of WWII. An exhausted nurse, a maimed thief, and a wary sapper are each haunted by the riddle of the mysterious, nameless English patient. The film The English Patient won Best Picture for 1997.This book also won the Booker Prize in 1992, so you can read it for the Spring Reading Challenge! Available on Hoopla (film).
Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally: In the shadow of Auschwitz, a German industrialist becomes an unassuming savior as he protects Jews in Nazzi-occupied Poland. Based on the story of Oskar Schindler who defied and outwitted the SS and risked his life to help others. The film Schindler’s List won Best Picture for 1993. This book also won the Booker Prize in 1982, so you can read it for the Spring Reading Challenge! Available on Hoopla (abridged audio).
The Godfather by Mario Puzo: An epic tale of crime and betrayal, introducing us to the Corleone family and their powerful legacy. A glimpse into the Mafia underworld, and the power of tradition, blood, and honor that goes along with it.The film The Godfather won Best Picture for 1972.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Heralded as “The Great American Novel,” Gone with the Wind follows Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy plantation owner as she is coming of age at the beginning of the Civil War. The film Gone with the Wind won Best Picture for 1939. This book also won the National Book Award for Novel in 1936 and the Pulitzer for Novel in 1937, so you can read it for the Spring Reading Challenge! Available on Libby (audio) and Hoopla (audio).
Explore award-winning books with our new Spring Reading Challenge! These books each won one of the Adult Awards you can choose to read from.
Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke: Set in Civil War-era Louisiana, the Confederate Army is in disarray and enslaved men and women are beginning to glimpse freedom. When Hannah, a formerly enslaved woman, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with Florence, an abolitionist schoolteacher. What follows is an engaging, action-packed narrative that illuminates our past and reflects our present. Flags on the Bayou won the Edgar Award for Best Novel 2024. Available on Hoopla (e-book).
Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen: Summoned by a letter from her estranged sister, Blake, before she died, Thalia returns to Block Island where she vowed to never return. She finds that Blake wasn’t the first to die at the salt-worn mansion known as White Hall. Thalia must uncover the real reason for Blake’s demise before the forces conspiring to keep Block Island’s secrets dead and buried consume her too. Daughters of Block Island won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel in 2023.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi: Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts. As she begins to form a close bond with Osita, a crisis comes to light and leads into an exhilarating act of violence. A dramatic story of family, friendship, and loss. The Death of Vivek Oji won the Stonewall Honor for Literature in 2021. Available on Boundless (e-book).
James by Percival Everett: A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s point of view. While many narrative set pieces of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place, Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light. James won the 2024. National Book Award for Fiction. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio/e-book)
Orbital by Samantha Harvey: As six astronauts collect data and conduct experiments in their spacecraft above Earth, they notice the spectacular beauty of the planet in a single day. As news from home reaches them, the pull to be back on Earth and to continue experiencing life there grows stronger. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. Available on Boundless (e-book), Libby (e-book), and Hoopla (audio/e-book).
The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson: Walt Longmire faces one of his most challenging crime scenes as he tries to reckon with the revelations of his last case where he confronted the ghosts of his past and questioned the very nature of justice and mercy in the hard country of the West. Book 19 in the Longmire series. The Longmire Defense won the Spur Award for Best Western Contemporary Novel in 2024. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Hoopla (audio).
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher: Marra has watched her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince for years, and decides she is the only one who can rescue them. She seeks help from a gravewitch who gives her three impossible tasks to complete before she will help her. Marra works with four others on her quest to free her family and the kingdom from its tyrannous ruler. Nettle and Bone won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2023. Available on Boundless (e-book), Libby (e-book), and Hoopla (audio).
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske: Cursed by mysterious attackers and plagued by visions, Robin, a liaison to a secret magical society, becomes determined to drag answers from his missing predecessor – but he’ll need the help of Edwin, his hostile counterpart. Unwillingly thrown together, Robin and Edwin will discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles. A Marvellous Light won The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award in 2022. Available on Hoopla (audio).
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips: In the wake of the Civil War, where erasure, trauma, and namelessness haunt civilians and veterans, twelve-year-old ConaLee and her mother find themselves on a journey to Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. They begin trying to reclaim their lives and soon get swept up in the life of the facility. Night Watch won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2024. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio/e-book)
An Immense World by Ed Yong: Experience the world through the senses of animals. Each animal has its own unique sensory bubble that they perceive the world through. Ed Yong introduces us to a world that we wouldn’t be able to imagine otherwise. An Immense World won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2023. Available on Boundless (e-book) and Libby (audio)