York County Library was pleased to participate in their First Annual Totally Cool Winter Reading Challenge!  This winter, YCL teamed up with Shark Tank's Mark Cuban, Beanstack, and several other libraries and schools across the country. 

The goal of the program was all participating schools and libraries have a combined 5 million minutes and 75,000 books read during the month of January.  If that goal was met, then Mark Cuban was going to donate $35,000 to the top performing libraries or schools.  

The following are book suggestions and reviews from some of our local participating readers. 

'I enjoyed this book and the development of the main characters.  Eleanor started out with limited social skills due to her troubled childhood and her story becomes clearer throughout the book.  Different.'

Sally G.

'A book by the father of Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.  Her father recounts his youth, as well as explaining why he chose to educate his daughter in a culture where girls are generally not given an education.  Malala's education and her speaking out for the need to educate girls like her, nearly cost Malala her life.  This is a great follow-up to I am Malala, as well as a good book by a proud father from his perspective.' 

Donna A.

'Good beach type read.  Starts in December with a 'love at first sight' moment and then scrolls thru almost a decade of friendships and loves.'

Sally G.

'I wouldn't rate this as one of her best, but James is such a good writer than it's hard not to enjoy her work.  Starting in a British nursing school, the plot involves the death by poison of two student nurses.  Of course, it falls to Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard to unravel the myriad of clues.  If you're not familiar with the work of one of England's greatest mystery writers of modern times, this book is a good place to fix that deprivation.'

Terry P.

'Maxine 'Max' Revere is an investigative journalist who specializes in solving cold-case crimes.  In this case, she revisits her hometown for a funeral of a high school friend who committed suicide, apparently as a way of drawing her into solving a murder for which he had been falsely accused.  Brennan crafts a suspenseful novel.  As former newspaperman, I find the underlying premise of what she does a bit of a stretch.  I am not a big fan of hardboiled detective type, which I think are overdone.  Having the central figure a woman doesn't resolve that for me.  Nonetheless, it's a good read.'

Terry P.

'I have read nearly 20 books by Walter Mosley and consider him one of my favorite authors.  Best known for his Easy Rawlins series of about a black detective, Mosley has penned novels in several genres, including science fiction.  He is a master when it comes to creating believable underworld characters.  'Debbie Doesn't do it Anymore' involves a notorious porn-movie star who decides to quit the business, triggering a series of events, including being attacked by thugs seeking to recoup money owed by her recently deceased husband.  I imagine that in the hands of a lesser talent, the story of porn star Debbie Dare would be titillating, if not sordid, but Mosley's ability to create convincing context and to write with such empathy about seemingly disreputable people make this novel both credible and enjoyable.'

Terry P.

'One of Harari's previous books, 'Sapiens' is on NYT best seller list even though it was first published some years ago. '21 lessons' a follow up is nowhere near as interesting.  The 21 lessons are chapters in which he discusses a hodgepodge of issues, some substantial (climate change) and others not-so-much (why Israel isn't the unique historic force it thinks it is.)  Harari, an avowed champion of secular humanism, makes good points on how humans progressed by organizing themselves around myths (e.g.- religions).  His 'solutions' to modern mankind's gravest threats leave a lot to be desired.'

Terry P.

'Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, 'Random Violence' is a detective story featuring spunky private investigator Jade de Jong.  She is on a mission to avenge her father's death and happens to solve a series of crimes along the way.  Although I know little about post-apartheid South Africa and less about the criminal justice system in that tortured land, Mackenzie writes with authority and skillfully weaves several storylines into a gripping novel.  I picked up the novel out of curiousity after having seen Mackenzies name on the Crime inthe City series of books mentioned by NPR.  These authors set their novels in a specific city or country so much of the appeal comes from their ability to convey a sense of that life might be like in that locale.  Of the several authors I have read in the series, Mackenzie ranks with the best.'

Terry P.

'Hard to put down this book!  What a strange future where children are selected to compete in a fight to the death.  Doomsday fascination!  Better than the left behind series as it is so convincing it could possibly occur in the future.'

Emma H.

For further suggestions, please contact your local library branch or view our online catalog at www.yclibrary.org.