These winter months can sometimes seem long and uninspiring, but if you’re looking for an adventure and to be inspired, try picking out a new book! For most, though, finding the “right” book might be challenging. Thankfully, Mrs. Birdsell, our school librarian, is here to help out.

Here are Mrs. Birdsell’s top five recommendations, which also happen to be her favorite books of all time. 

1- Mrs. Birdsell finds reading an escape from reality. Starting back in high school, she picked up the book that would change her forever. The 1985 western novel, Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry, is a story that revolves around the relationships between several Texas Rangers and their adventures while driving a cattle herd from Texas to Montana. Birdsell believes the lasting message from this novel shows how “the joys and heartaches of life are timeless.” Birdsell states, “This is my favorite book of all time and has been since I read it in high school… The characters are beautifully written and have stayed with me since the first time I read it.” 

 2- Marked as the second-best novel, Mrs. Birdsell suggests Born a Crime, Trevor Noah’s memoir. Noah, now the star of the Daily Show, recollects his memories as a biracial child growing up in apartheid South Africa. As Noah grows, he becomes a man who struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. His mother and he face injustice, racial divide, and apartheid in South Africa. “This is probably the best memoir I have read,” States Birdsell, “I have never laughed so much from a book, while simultaneously burning with anger at the injustices Noah and his mother faced.” 

 3- The Cuckoos Calling is a 2013 crime-fiction novel, by J. K. Rowling, about a model that falls to her death, and people assume that she has committed suicide. Since her brother has his doubts, he calls a private investigator to look into the case. Birdsell, a huge fan of mysteries, marks this book as her favorite mystery series ever. “The plot is compelling in itself, but it’s her complex, true-to-life characters that keep me hooked on these books,” says Birdsell. 

 4- At number four, is Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi. This heartfelt story is about two African sisters separated at birth in Ghana in the 1700s. The novel depicts colonialism, slavery, racial hatred, segregation, cruelty, redemption, and the legacy of enslavement for those of African descent. Mrs. Birdsell describes this book as “A beautiful, heart-wrenching saga that illustrates how the events of one generation continue to affect the lives of people hundreds of years later.” 

 5- “It’s the most incredible story I’ve ever read. The phrase “awe-Inspiring” was invented for this book!” exclaims Mrs. Birdsell. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand. is the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Army Air Force lieutenant whose plane crashes in the Pacific in 1943 only to be captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war in horrible conditions. This book delivers a powerful message of perseverance and forgiveness. 

So, next time you’re looking for an adventure, look no further than our school library!