BookClub

Not sure what book to pick up next? K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library’s Assistant Director Cara Perrion has got you covered. Whether you’re an avid reader or picking up a book for the first time in years, these picks will help readers of all ages find the next adventure to get lost in.

We Should Not Be Friends: The Story of a Friendship by Will Schwalbe

Memoir Will Schwalbe’s We Should Not Be Friends: The Story of a Friendship, is more than a memoir of two Ivy League graduates who stayed in touch for over forty years. At first glance, the concept of this book seems light and funny. Two young men of opposite personalities become friends for life. The end. However, that’s just the beginning. Will Schwalbe and Chris Maxey were both asked to join a Yale secret society that encouraged members to engage with people who are completely different than themselves and learn to be vulnerable as well as accepting of others. After two dinners a week, several autobiographical presentations, and spending a lot of time together, Will and Maxey broke down barriers and learned from one another’s life experiences and a friendship began. 

Schwalbe wrote, “From the start it was clear that Maxey and I should not be friends. What was less obvious was that I was much more prejudiced against him than he was against me.” Like most relationships, their friendship ebbed and flowed but was always connected by a common thread of the importance of being friends with people who are not like us, to push our boundaries of acceptance and vulnerability, and to continue to learn and encourage one another. This meaningful book is a bit philosophical, heartwarming, and yes, a tad humorous. A memoir of friendship at its core but evidence of how enriching and important relationships can be to one’s life. No matter how unlikely.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

Thriller Harlan Coben’s latest stand-alone novel, I Will Find You, is a fast-paced thriller that will have you holding your breath as you turn the pages. The story opens with a man serving a life sentence for killing his son. He, of course, claims his innocence even though he has no memory of the night his son was murdered. Quickly there is a twist as a visitor shows him a picture with a boy who looks just like his son in the background. Suddenly this story turns from murder mystery to a prison escape, kidnapping, and before it ends, back to a murder mystery. The reader will encounter some very shady characters and some good characters who chose to do bad things for all the right reasons. This is an action packed read with several plot twists, good bad guys, and like all Coben novels, that thread of hope that justice will be awarded. If you are a long time Coben fan, you will not be disappointed and I dare say, this could possibly be his best to date. If you are new to Coben, prepare yourself for an adventurous read with characters you will never forget. //