Follow along with us this year as we take on the 2022 Amazing Book Challenge, which encourages readers to broaden their horizons by discovering new subjects and authors.
To participate, register online and read one book from the month’s theme to receive a small monthly prize. Read a book from all 12 themes by Dec. 31 and you’ll be entered into our grand prize, year-end drawing.
We’re kicking off the year with January’s theme: a classic that is new to you. From Austen, Bronte and Fitzgerald to some of the more modern classics like “The Bell Jar” and “Beloved,” these books introduce readers to new worlds and perspectives through tried-and-true themes.
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For the full list of recommendations and to see the rest of the monthly themes, go www.naperville-lib.org/ABC.
ADULT FICTION
“Beloved,” by Toni Morrison
Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but 18 years later she is still not free. She is haunted by the memories of Sweet Home, the farm where so many horrible things happened, and the ghost of her baby girl, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.
“Rebecca,” by Daphne Du Maurier
Set in Monte Carlo, our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal. It is only when they arrive at his sprawling country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives, presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.
“The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien
A collection of linked short stories, “The Things They Carried” follows a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. Based on O’Brien’s own experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division, it is an arc of fictional episodes, taking place in the childhoods of its characters, in the jungles of Vietnam and back home in America two decades later.
ADULT NONFICTION
“Devil In the White City” by Erik Larson
Set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair’s construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Told in alternating chapters, both the magical appeal and terrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are revealed through the drama of this nonfiction novel.
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern farmer, yet her cells, taken without her knowledge, became one of the most important tools in modern medicine. HeLa cells were vital for countless discoveries, including the creation of the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. Skloot’s research shows the inextricably connected history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we’re made of.
“The Bell Jar,” by Sylvia Plath
“The Bell Jar” chronicles the nervous breakdown of brilliant and beautiful Esther Greenwood. Plath draws readers into Esther’s crackup with such intensity that her insanity becomes real and rational, penetrating the darkest corners of the human psyche.
TEEN
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie sets out on a strange course to find the perfect song for the perfect drive, through uncharted territory of first dates, new friends and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
“The Giver,” by Lois Lowry
“The Giver” has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story focuses on Jonas, a young boy living in an ideal world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.
“Stargirl,” by Jerry Spinelli
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Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule of high school: don’t stand out under any circumstances. Then Stargirl arrives and everything changes. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into 10th grade in an explosion of color and music. As the delicate balance of popularity begins to shift, Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes her different as normal Leo has stumbled into love with her.
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.