Patch Picks: Five Great Books To Read

Our latest Patch Picks installment lists five books that were recommended by the Menomonee Falls Public Library, W156N8436 Pilgrim Rd., for adults to read. The library staff encourages adults, youth and children to be active in picking up a book, reading it and telling others about it.

Here are five books that are suggested great reads:

 1. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This is one of the four crime novels written by the author featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. The setting for the novel is largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country, and tells the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome, diabolical hound.

2. “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

This novel takes a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities in human life, from the eyes of a dog named Enzo and his human master Denny Swift. The author uses Swift to tell the story of how Enzo gains tremendous insight into the human condition, and sees his life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast.

3. “Ladies of the Lake” by Haywood Smith

The author craftily writes about the lives and relationships of grown sisters who are required by their grandmother's will of testament to spend the whole summer together — without family or friends – camping at her rundown lodge on Lake Clare in order to inherit the valuable land. New rivalries and understandings emerge during the process.

4. “The Book Thief” by Marcus Zusak

The setting for the novel is Nazi Germany. The author describes a young girl's relationship with her foster parents, the other residents of their neighborhood and a Jewish fistfighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. The story is told from the point of view of “Death."

5. “Wisconsin Road Guide to Gangster Hot Spots” by Chad Lewis

The author, born and raised in Eau Claire, WI, writes about the long and colorful history connecting the land and the people intimately to the deviant gangster lifestyle. Lewis lays out the real story behind the gangster legends, but also provides a road map to locations where the gangsters hung out. Plenty of photographs and maps of the locations are provided in the book.